In the gilded halls of Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, President Xi Jinping conferred China’s highest scientific honors on two men whose work defines the country's dual ambitions of energy dominance and military prowess. The State Preeminent Science and Technology Award was presented to Chen Liquan, the ‘father’ of the Chinese lithium battery, and Ben De, a pioneer in advanced radar systems. This ceremony serves as a potent reminder of Beijing’s commitment to 'high-level self-reliance' amid an increasingly fractured global landscape.
Chen Liquan’s recognition highlights the foundational role of energy storage in China’s economic ascent. Since returning from Germany in the 1970s, Chen has been instrumental in breaking the international intellectual property monopolies on cathode materials like lithium iron phosphate (LFP). His work did not just create a domestic industry; it laid the groundwork for China to become the world’s undisputed leader in electric vehicle (EV) supply chains.
Beyond traditional lithium-ion technology, Chen is now steering China toward the next frontier of solid-state and sodium-ion batteries. These technologies are viewed as critical for securing a strategic advantage in the transition to renewable energy. By focusing on 'in-situ solidification' and alternative chemistries, Chen’s research aims to ensure that China remains the primary architect of the world's green energy infrastructure.
While Chen focuses on the power of the future, Ben De’s work focuses on the security of the present. As a pioneer in airborne pulse Doppler and phased array radar, Ben has provided the Chinese military with what state media calls its ‘fiery eyes.’ His breakthroughs in radar technology are the backbone of modern Chinese air and sea defense, enabling the detection and tracking of targets with unprecedented precision.
Ben’s career trajectory reflects China’s broader shift from technological imitation to indigenous innovation in the defense sector. From his early days at the Harbin Institute of Technology to his tenure at the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), his work has been central to achieving ‘information superiority.’ Thousands of his radar units are currently deployed, forming a sophisticated early-warning shield across China's territorial claims.
This year’s awards are less about individual achievement and more about a national imperative to decouple from Western technology. By elevating a battery scientist and a radar engineer, the Chinese Communist Party is signaling its priority sectors for the coming decade. The message to the global community is clear: China is doubling down on the core technologies required to sustain both its economic security and its military deterrent.