Former boss of China aircraft carrier programme in corruption probe

The head of China’s aircraft carrier programme is being investigated by the nation’s anti-corruption watchdog – months after the company was hit by a scandal over the leaking of confidential information.

Hu Wenming, the former Communist Party chief and chairman of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law – a euphemism that usually refers to economic crime and corruption – according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection late on Tuesday.

A Chinese military source familiar with the matter said the investigation began when Hu retired from CSIC in August. It follows the jailing last year of Sun Bo, a former general manager of the corporation, who is serving 12 years for corruption offences. The commission did not say whether the two cases were linked.

Sun, who was jailed for taking bribes and abuse of power in July, was criticised by the anti-corruption watchdog for not following orders from the central leadership, harming the interests of state-owned enterprises, and lying to the inspection team sent by the watchdog.

As reported earlier by the South China Morning Post, Sun was accused of passing confidential information to foreign powers about the Liaoning, China’s first aircraft carrier which served as a template for the nation’s second aircraft carrier the Shandong.

Hu joined CSIC as party chief and general manager in 2010. He oversaw the development of the Liaoning, which was refitted from a Ukrainian vessel, and the Shandong, China’s first domestic aircraft carrier commissioned in December 2019.

CSIC was merged with China State Shipbuilding Corporation last year. The company is also building other Chinese naval ships, including the Type 055 large destroyer and Type 075 amphibious assault vessel.

Hu’s career spanned the navy, air force and land force industries, with posts in Aviation Industry Corporation of China, armoured vehicle and munition developer China North Industries Group Corporation, and CSIC. In addition to aircraft carriers, Hu was also involved in the development of the J-10 fighter jet.

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CSIC was inspected twice by the anti-corruption watchdog during Hu’s tenure. The corporation was accused of losing state assets and it was reported by state media at the time that Hu “frowned” when he signed the inspection feedback in February 2015. He also pledged to launch a thorough crackdown against corruption inside the corporation.

In another round of inspections in March last year, the watchdog found that CSIC did not abide by the central authority rules against extravagance, failed to rectify mistakes pointed out by the inspection team, and failed to introduce a strict system on personnel appointments.

Hu said the company would further remove the loopholes in its management, and learn from the experience of handling Sun’s case.

Additional reporting by Minnie Chan