A date for a judge to hear pre-trial arguments was set for next month.
He was remanded on continued bail on previously set strict conditions until a further appearance in November.
Liu was granted bail last month after spending four months in Mt Eden prison following his arrest in April, and must remain at his bail address 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while also wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet.
Ms Chen, 44, was last seen alive on November 5, 2012, after leaving the accountancy firm she worked at in the city and driving home to the North Shore.
Police found her body in late March after a contractor mowing the lawns at Totaravale Reserve discovered a ribcage and a skull in a drain.
Most of the rest of Ms Chen's remains were found nearby.
