China targets face of international space cooperation in corruption crackdown

Senior Chinese defence industry official Bian Zhigang is under investigation for corruption, the latest high-profile target in Beijing’s sweeping crackdown on its military sector.

Bian, deputy head of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND), was suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law”, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said on Wednesday, using its usual term for corruption and bribery.

The CCDI is China’s top anti-corruption watchdog.

Bian is the latest official in the defence and space sector to come under investigation for corruption. He also is the deputy director of the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Public records do not disclose his age.

Bian has spent most of his career at SASTIND, the Chinese government agency responsible for coordinating the research, development and production of military equipment across the nuclear, aerospace, aviation, shipbuilding, armaments and electronics sectors, while driving the core capabilities of China’s defence industrial base.

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Bian was appointed deputy head at SASTIND in February 2024, and the announcement of his investigation came while he was still in the position. His profile was scrubbed from official websites after the investigation was announced.