China’s Diplomatic Shake-Up Masks Deeper Political Turmoil and Power Struggles

China's latest diplomatic appointment reeks less of routine personnel changes and more of a high-stakes political purge that should alarm American policymakers focused on national security and sovereignty. Liu Haixing, a diplomat with deep European ties, has been installed atop the Communist Party's International Department—the shadowy arm managing China's global political influence operations. But the spotlight falls not on Liu, but on his mysterious predecessor, Liu Jianchao, who vanished from public view last July amid reports of detention for disciplinary reasons. Why does this matter to America? Because when Chinese officials disappear without explanation within their own system, it signals...