On the international stage he represented China at the 1988 AFC Asian Cup and in the 1988 Summer Olympics. When he decided to retire from international football he had scored 36 goals for China national football team making him their top goalscorer. This record would however be broken by Hao Haidong several years later and currently Liu is the second highest goalscorer. He would retire completely from playing in 1991 and since then has become a businessman and founded 4 children football clubs.