A prominent figure in China’s aerospace industry was dismissed this week from his role in a high-profile government body, state media said, as the Chinese leadership’s crackdown on corruption surfaced further into public view.
The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), an advisory committee comprising more than 2,000 people and overseen by the long-ruling Communist Party, voted on Monday in Beijing to strip Wang Xiaojun of his member status, China’s official Xinhua News Agency said.
Wang, 54, was a former design department head at the First Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., better known as the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, or CALT.
State-owned CALT is a major manufacturer of China’s civilian and military launch vehicles, including the now mature family of Long March space rockets. Wang was promoted to CALT director in 2019.
Newsweek‘s review of the company’s website found that Wang’s profile was no longer listed among CALT’s current leadership, although his picture was still available in a separate section online.
Wang’s work at CALT was linked directly to the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, which oversees China’s conventional and nuclear arsenal. The service’s leadership has undergone its own series of silent changes in the past year as part of an ongoing anti-graft probe.
Wang, who was a former vice chair of the International Astronautical Federation, a space advocacy organization based in Paris, is believed to be the latest party cadre to be swept up in the disciplinary campaign, which has become a hallmark of Xi Jinping’s tenure as China’s president.
Greg Baker/AFP via Getty
This week’s announcement did not mention corruption charges, but in a departure from previous political dismissals, Chinese state media covered the news extensively. The topic also gained traction on China’s social media websites, with one related hashtag amassing more than 14.5 million views.
Wang’s removal from the CPPCC was not merely an administrative action but signifies more turbulance within the Chinese political landscape.
China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
Membership in the CPPCC or the National People’s Congress—China’s rubber-stamp legislature—is akin to holding an honorary title, said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.
“In the Chinese system, the initial investigation typically starts with the party’s disciplinary committee. Removal from a position like this implies that the case against the individual is substantial,” Wu told Newsweek.
Similar decisions often precede court proceedings, suggesting a transition from party-level disciplinary actions to formal legal processes, he said.
Wang’s fate may be down to a blend of anti-corruption efforts and Xi’s wider purge of disloyal political elites, according to Wu. “We can’t say there isn’t an anti-corruption angle. Usually, they have both.”
Wu believes Xi views corruption in the rocket force as a personal issue, especially given the service’s role as a credible tool for deterrence.
“Xi Jinping had high hopes for the rocket force. Now, with the rocket force facing numerous problems, he is evidently very displeased,” Wu said.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.