China to expel prominent scientist Wang Xiaojun from top body as corruption probe keeps sights on PLA Rocket Force
- Wang Xiaojun led development of Long March 7 rockets used to resupply Tiangong space station and launch satellites
- Decision follows regular meeting chaired by CPPCC chairman and Politburo Standing Committee member Wang Huning
Wang Xiaojun, who led the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, will be removed as a representative on the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), state broadcaster CCTV said without detailing why Wang was being removed.
The decision came after Wang Huning, the CPPCC chairman and a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, chaired a regular meeting with his deputies. The meeting did not have the power to dismiss Wang outright. The decision is likely to be made final in March, before the conference and national legislature meet.
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China has targeted senior officials in and close to the rocket force, which oversees nuclear and missile development.
He did not respond to an email on Tuesday asking for comment on his dismissal.
A native of Henan province, Wang graduated from the National University of Defence Technology with a doctorate specialising in rocket engines, according to a 2016 Xinhua report.
His publications over the past five years indicate a research focus on reusable rockets and improving fuel efficiency.
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He became a CPPCC member in March. His last known appearance was in June, when as president of the state-run rocket academy he led an official through an exhibit about aerospace development.
Wang Xiaojun still held the title of president at an academy meeting on July 26, according to an official statement.
Only days before, he received officials from Hunan province. Wang has since been replaced by an acting president who is the board chairman of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the state-owned firm that runs the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.
Wang was appointed president and deputy party secretary of the academy by February 2020, replacing Hao Zhaoping who became president in 2018.
The academy is also known as the CASC First Academy. Both the academy and CASC are under American sanctions to block investments in PLA-linked firms and a proliferation of missile technologies to China.
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Beijing has launched a wide-ranging purge of officials involved in the missile force and space development. In China, the space programme is closely linked to the military.
The military’s astronaut corps is under the PLA Strategic Support Force, while the China Manned Space Agency is under the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC), China’s top military command.
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The CMC issued a rare notice in July asking the public to report irregularities in how equipment tenders had been assessed since October 2017. The notice did not mention Li, but he had started as head of the department only a month before.
