Liu was born in Zhecheng County, Henan, in June 1965.[3] In 1980, he entered Shangqiu Normal School (now Shangqiu Normal University), where he majored in chemistry.[3] After graduating in 1983, Liu taught at Zhecheng County High School. In March 1985, he became a technician at Zhecheng County Fertilizer Plant. He did his postgraduate work at the Department of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University from August 1987 to July 1990.[3] He also received his doctor's degree in economic from Fudan University in June 2004.[3]
Liu got involved in politics in July 1990, when he was despatched as an official in the Henan Provincial Petrochemical Department (now Henan Provincial Petrochemical Industry Management Office), where he eventually became deputy director in June 2000.[3] He joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in June 1997.[3] Liu was assigned to Henan Development and Reform Commission in February 2004.[3] He moved up the ranks to become deputy director in August 2004 and director in January 2007.[3] He also served as vice governor of Henan from January 2018 to January 2020 and party secretary of the CCP Henan Provincial State owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission Committee from March 2018 to November 2018.[3]