China Detains Leading Defense Scientist Amid Xi’s Anti-Corruption Campaign
China’s top defense scientist Yu Faxin detained amid Xi’s anti-corruption drive.
A leading Chinese scientist, Yu Faxin, renowned for his expertise in developing semiconductor chips for advanced weapon systems, has been detained by anti-corruption authorities, according to a statement from his company, Zhejiang Great Microwave Technology. The announcement, reported by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, marks a significant escalation in China’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign targeting military and defense sectors.
The company disclosed on September 21 that Yu, its chairman and actual controller, was detained by the Supervisory Commission of Huangshi, though no further details were provided. Yu, also a distinguished professor at Zhejiang University’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics in Hangzhou, specializes in microwave and millimeter-wave radio frequency technology, overcoming critical challenges in communication, navigation, and radar systems. His work on gallium nitride and gallium arsenide compounds has been pivotal in advancing semiconductor materials for military applications.
Zhejiang Great Microwave Technology emphasized that its operations would continue unaffected, with other directors and senior management fulfilling their roles. The company, a major supplier of radio frequency transceivers, chips for wireless and satellite communication, and radar systems, has played a significant role in China’s defense modernization. Its 2024 annual report highlighted its contributions to military equipment showcased during the 2019 70th National Day parade and its advancements in reducing the size and weight of satellite systems, cementing its position as a key supplier of domestic defense components.
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The detention aligns with President Xi Jinping’s relentless anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted scores of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) generals since he assumed power in 2012. On Friday, China’s National People’s Congress expelled four top PLA generals, signaling the campaign’s intensification. Yu’s detention raises concerns about the broader implications for China’s defense technology sector, as the nation balances its pursuit of military modernization with internal purges aimed at ensuring loyalty and integrity.
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