On December 27, 2023, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) announced the revocation of the CPPCC membership of three military industry experts: Wu Yansheng, Liu Shiquan, and Wang Changqing. (Screenshot from the internet)
October 26, 2024 - The Chinese military electronics giant, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), is reportedly facing widespread corruption. Following the recent arrest of CETC’s Deputy General Manager He Wenzhong on bribery charges, Caixin reported on October 25 that former Chairman Chen Zhaoxiong and former General Manager Wu Manqing have also been taken into custody. The report was subsequently removed, and CETC has not commented on the matter.
On October 24, China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate announced that the Hebei Provincial Procuratorate had decided to arrest He Wenzhong, CETC’s former Deputy General Manager, on suspicion of bribery. Caixin reported that former CETC Chairman Chen Zhaoxiong was taken away by authorities in late September, and former General Manager Wu Manqing had been taken into custody earlier. Shortly after, Caixin's report was taken down, along with all reposts on Sina, Tencent, and other sites.
Rumors of Chen and Wu’s investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) circulated on social media last week, reportedly based on information provided by He Wenzhong. CETC has not confirmed or denied the investigation.
Public records show that Chen Zhaoxiong, from Putian, Fujian, holds a Ph.D. in engineering from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in computer applications. In 2001, he moved to a central technology enterprise and served as Deputy General Manager and General Manager of China Electronics Corporation, Chairman of China Great Wall Computer Group Corporation, and later became Vice Governor of Hunan Province. In October 2015, he became Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and in May 2020, he was appointed as Chairman and Party Secretary of CETC, a position he held until his retirement in March 2023.
Wu Manqing, from Tongcheng, Anhui, is currently the Vice President and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. A radar and network information system expert, he graduated from the National University of Defense Technology and is known as the founder of China’s digital array radar theory and technology. He led the development of the radar for the KJ-500 early warning aircraft. Wu served as director of CETC’s 38th Research Institute, the primary domestic supplier of military radar electronics, from 1990 to 2012.
In 2012, Wu became CETC’s Chief Engineer and Dean of the Electronics Science Institute and was promoted to Deputy General Manager five years later. From August 2018 to September 2022, he served as General Manager and Deputy Party Secretary of CETC under Chen Zhaoxiong.
In March 2017, Wu was appointed as the director of the National Engineering Laboratory for Big Data Applications in Social Security Risk Perception and Control, headquartered in Urumqi, Xinjiang. This lab leads research on big data applications related to the CCP’s human rights suppression and stability maintenance efforts.
CETC, one of the largest state-owned enterprises in China, was founded on February 25, 2002, and is composed of 46 electronics research institutes and 26 enterprises, with over 700 subsidiaries, including 17 listed companies. Over 55% of its 200,000 employees are R&D personnel. CETC is considered a core player in China’s military electronics, contributing to major projects like the Beidou Navigation Satellite System and the FAST telescope, also known as the "Sky Eye."
The military enterprise is currently mired in a significant corruption scandal. He Wenzhong, arrested in April, held several positions before his role as CETC Deputy General Manager, including Party Secretary of CETC Optoelectronics Technology and Chairman of United Microelectronics Center. The CCDI reported that he “profited from the military sector” and accepted substantial bribes, allegedly dating back to before 2012.
The Financial Times reported that He Wenzhong’s investigation, as an executive of one of the CCP’s largest military equipment suppliers, signals further turmoil within China’s defense sector.
Since 2018, CETC has faced multiple sanctions from the U.S. government for assisting the CCP in human rights abuses.
This new wave of military corruption investigations has led to the downfall of dozens of senior military officials, including former Defense Minister Li Shangfu and Rocket Force Commander Li Yuchao.
In addition to CETC, several high-ranking officials from other military enterprises have been brought down over the past year. These include Wu Yansheng, Chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation; Liu Shiquan, Chairman of China North Industries Group Corporation; Wang Changqing, Deputy General Manager of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation; Feng Jiehong, Chairman of China Aerospace Sanjiang Group; Wang Xiaojun, former President of China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology; Zhang Jianwu, former Party Secretary of the Changchun Institute of Equipment and Technology of China North Industries Group; and Li Zhaozhi, former Director of the Equipment Support Department of China North Industries Group.
Editor: Ye Ziming
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