A top-ranking scientist in the Chinese military and nuclear test site commander, Liu Guozhi, has been removed from the website of the country’s top national research institute.
In 2016, Liu was named head of the science and technology commission of the Central Military Commission – China’s top military decision-making and command body – a position he is believed to have held until the early 2020s.
Liu, 65, was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2009. Some Chinese bloggers on Thursday noted that his profile was no longer listed on the site.
China has conducted 45 nuclear tests, starting with its first successful detonation (Project 596) on October 16, 1964, at the Lop Nur site in Xinjiang. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted atmospheric tests until 1980 and underground tests until 1996. Recent reports suggest China may be conducting low-yield, clandestine underground testing in violation of zero-yield standards, expanding its nuclear arsenal.
As of 2025, China is expanding its nuclear stockpile to over 600 warheads, with concerns regarding activity and new excavations at the Lop Nur site.
Reports suggest China has operated a “zero-yield” policy, but recent activity has raised concerns that they may be using explosive chambers to test and refine low-yield nuclear designs, reported the Washington Post.
The PLA Rocket Force, Navy, and Air Force all carry nuclear warheads, as explained in Wikipedia’s overview of China’s nuclear weapons.
The chief designer on the J-20 stealth fighter jet, Yang Wei, 62, has been removed from the website of China’s national research institute, amid a sweeping campaign to stamp out corruption in the defence sector.
Profiles of several top Chinese weapons scientists have disappeared from the Chinese Academy of Engineering’s website.
Those removed include nuclear weapons expert Zhao Xiangeng, radar specialist Wu Manqing, and missile designer Wei Yiyin. No explanation has been given for the removals.
Zhao Xiangeng (former CAE Vice-President) led nuclear weapons development, Wu Manqing headed China’s top electronics conglomerate (CETC), and Wei Yiyin was a chief designer for the nation’s most advanced surface-to-air missiles.
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