China pushes Pakistan ties beyond government

During his stay, he is scheduled to call on Pakistan's leadership and co-chair a high-level event with Dar on Monday (today). Announcing the visit, the Foreign Office said it was part of the ongoing high-level and party-to-party exchanges between the two countries, reflecting their shared commitment to further strengthening the "All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership".

The visit comes in a landmark year for bilateral relations, as Pakistan and China are marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

It also follows Dar's meeting with Liu in Beijing in January, when the two sides reviewed party-to-party exchanges, regional developments and progress on various projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project., both sides expressed satisfaction with the "steady and forward-looking trajectory" of bilateral relations and agreed to commemorate the anniversary in a befitting manner.

Liu's position in the Chinese political system gives the visit significance beyond conventional diplomatic engagement. Unlike officials of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he heads a key department of the Communist Party responsible for maintaining relations with political parties and political organisations across the world.

Founded in 1951, the International Department serves as the CPC's principal channel for party-to-party diplomacy. It maintains contacts with ruling and opposition parties, facilitates political exchanges and provides a platform for discussing governance, development and international affairs.

The department operates within the Communist Party's institutional structure rather than the Chinese government's Foreign Ministry. Its role is therefore distinct from conventional diplomatic engagement, although both channels work within the broader foreign policy direction set by China's leadership.

Liu is a member of the 20th CPC Central Committee and was appointed head of the International Department in September 2025. A career diplomat, he previously served as assistant foreign minister and director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Department of European Affairs.

Before taking up his current assignment, he served as executive vice-director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee's National Security Commission, an important party body chaired by President Xi Jinping.