China Electronics Technology Group Co., Ltd. (referred to as CETC or China CE), a major player in China’s military electronics industry, is reportedly embroiled in a corruption scandal. Following the arrest of the company’s deputy general manager He Wenzhong on charges of bribery, there have been reports that the former chairman Chen Zhaoxiong and former general manager Wu Manqing of CETC have also been taken into custody. However, CETC has not responded to these reports as of the latest update.
On October 24, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of China announced that He Wenzhong, the former deputy general manager of China CE, had been arrested for suspected bribery by the Hebei Provincial People’s Procuratorate. According to reports from Caixin on October 25, several insiders revealed that Chen Zhaoxiong, the former chairman of CETC, was taken away by relevant authorities at the end of September, and prior to that, Wu Manqing, the former general manager of CETC, was also detained. However, the Caixin report was taken down shortly after, and reposts by news outlets like Sina and Tencent were also removed.
Rumors regarding the investigation of Chen Zhaoxiong and Wu Manqing by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection have been circulating on social media for the past week, with allegations that the information was provided by He Wenzhong. However, CETC has not confirmed or denied the news about the two officials being investigated.
Public records show that Chen Zhaoxiong, a native of Putian, Fujian Province, holds a Ph.D. in Computer Applications from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He was transferred to a central state-owned enterprise in 2001, serving as the deputy general manager and general manager of China Electronics Information Industry Group Corporation, as well as the chairman of China Great Wall Computer Group Corporation. At the end of 2007, Chen Zhaoxiong was appointed as the vice governor of Hunan Province. In October 2015, he became the Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, and in May 2020, he assumed the position of chairman and party secretary of China CE before retiring in March 2023.
Wu Manqing, a native of Tongcheng, Anhui Province, is currently the Vice President and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He graduated from the Electronic Technology Department of a PLA university specializing in defense science and technology and is an expert in radar technology and network information systems. Wu Manqing is considered the pioneer of China’s digital array radar theory and technology system and successfully developed the radar for the KJ-500 early warning aircraft. From 1990 to 2012, he served as the director of the 38th Research Institute of CETC, a major supplier of military radar electronics in China.
In 2012, Wu Manqing became the chief engineer of CETC and the director of the Electronic Science Research Institute. Five years later, he was promoted to deputy general manager. From August 2018 to September 2022, he served as the general manager and deputy party secretary of CETC, working under Chen Zhaoxiong.
In March 2017, Wu Manqing took on the role of director of the National Engineering Laboratory for “Social Security Risk Perception and Prevention Big Data Application,” which is located in Urumqi, Xinjiang, and focuses on research related to human rights violations and social stability issues using big data analysis.
Established on February 25, 2002, China Electronics Technology Group Co., Ltd. is a large state-owned enterprise formed by 46 electronic research institutes and 26 enterprises. It currently consists of over 700 units, including 17 listed companies, with more than 200,000 employees, of whom 55% are research and development personnel. It is hailed as the “main force of China’s military electronic industry.” Whether it’s the Beidou satellite navigation system or the renowned FAST telescope, CETC is a key player in these projects.
The military enterprise is now embroiled in a major corruption scandal. He Wenzhong, a former CETC deputy general manager who was arrested in April this year, previously held positions such as party secretary of CETC Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd. and chairman of the Joint Microelectronics Center Co., Ltd. He was accused by the CCDI of “engaging in corruption within the military-industrial complex” and accepting substantial bribes since before 2012.
The Financial Times reported that He Wenzhong, as a senior executive of one of China’s largest military equipment suppliers, being investigated signifies a new wave of turbulence in China’s defense industry.
Since 2018, China CE has been repeatedly sanctioned by the US government for its involvement in human rights violations and other issues.
A new wave of corruption within the Chinese military has been unfolding since last year, leading to the downfall of at least dozens of senior military officials, including former Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu and Rocket Force Commander Li Yuchao.
In addition to CETC, several other senior executives from military enterprises have been arrested since last year, including Wu Yansheng, chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation; Liu Shiquan, chairman of China Ordnance Industry Group; Wang Changqing, deputy general manager of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation; Feng Jiehong, chairman of China Aerospace Sanjiang Group; Wang Xiaojun, former director of China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology; Zhang Jianwu, former party secretary of the Changchun Institute of Equipment and Technology under China Ordnance Industry Group; and Li Zhaozhi, former director of the Equipment Support Department of China Ordnance Industry Group.