Ex-lawyer detained slammed for criticising ‘father of China’s nuclear submarines’ Huang Xuhua
Legal fraternity, social media users upset by comments made about 93-year-old engineer after he appeared on Lunar New Year television gala show
A former lawyer who made disparaging remarks about a celebrated Chinese nuclear submarine engineer has been detained by local authorities.
Zhuo Baowei was detained for 10 days and fined 500 yuan (US$79) on Sunday for his criticism of 93-year-old Huang Xuhua, who helped to develop China’s first nuclear submarine in the 1970s, according to a statement by the Linshu county government in eastern China’s Shandong province.
Zhuo’s comments came after Huang appeared as guest of honour on state broadcaster CCTV’s Lunar New Year gala show on Thursday night, People’s Daily said on its official WeChat account on Sunday.
Huang was thrust into the spotlight in November when Chinese President Xi Jinping invited him to sit beside him for a group photograph of more than 600 Chinese citizens being honoured at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing as “ethical workers”.
Media reports then told the story of how Huang had dedicated his life to his secret work and the huge sacrifices he had made for the Communist Party and the country. For 30 years, he made no contact with his family for fear of giving away his knowledge, and only told his father what he did for a living when the older man was on his deathbed.