China Promotes Defense Computing Pioneer Wang Ji Ahead of PLA Centenary

Chinese party and military authorities held a high-level symposium at the Great Hall of the People on September 28 to promote the deeds of Wang Ji, a pioneering researcher in high-assurance software at the National University of Defense Technology. Prior to the meeting, Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin met with delegation members, conveying greetings from President Xi Jinping. Zhang called on the armed forces to study Wang's example, uphold political loyalty, and achieve outstanding results ahead of the People's Liberation Army centenary.

The multi-agency event underscores the top military leadership's emphasis on domestic research into critical foundational defense technologies, particularly critical software safety for major armaments. Elevating defense technologists as role models serves both ideological mobilization and the broader push for indigenous technological self-reliance during the final approach toward the 2027 PLA centenary goals.

Chinese civil and military authorities convened a high-profile symposium on September 28 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to honor Wang Ji, a senior researcher at the National University of Defense Technology and a foundational figure in China's high-assurance software technology, state media reported. Ahead of the symposium, Zhang Shengmin, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, met with members of the report delegation. Zhang extended greetings to Wang and the delegation on behalf of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Central Military Commission, according to reports carried by Xinhua and the PLA Daily. Zhang described Wang as an advanced model guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military and urged the armed forces to study his dedication, enforce the CMC chairman responsibility system, and deliver achievements to welcome the centenary of the People's Liberation Army. Wang, a doctoral supervisor at the National University of Defense Technology's College of Computer Science, was awarded the prestigious 'Role Model of the Times' title by the Central Propaganda Department in July 2026. Official accounts state that Wang spearheaded the creation of domestic theoretical frameworks and verification platforms for high-assurance software, ensuring the reliability of critical code integrated into major military armaments. Despite suffering from severe illness that resulted in a high-level amputation, Wang continued his scientific research and academic mentorship. The report meeting was jointly hosted by the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, the CMC Political Work Department, and the Hunan Provincial Party Committee. Delegation members recounted Wang's contributions across his decades-long career, highlighting his role in continuing computing advancements and maintaining strict personal discipline, with his household previously designated a national civilized family. Speaking at the event, Wang pledged to remain on the research frontline as long as his physical capacities allowed, expressing an ongoing commitment to answer state and military needs. Attendees included representatives from central state organs, Beijing-based military units, universities, and scientific institutions.