China’s renowned expert in Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing Applications, Zhou Chenghu, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, announced his investigation on June 1st. Prior to this announcement, Zhou had already been removed from the list of academicians on the official website of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with his profile information taken down. In recent years, Zhou Chenghu has been advocating for the development of the low-altitude economy sector.
According to the report by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission on June 1st, Zhou Chenghu, former Deputy Director of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is suspected of serious violations of duty and is currently under investigation by the disciplinary inspection and supervision team stationed at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Supervisory Commission of Chenzhou City, Hunan Province.
In recent years, Zhou Chenghu has publicly predicted that China’s low-altitude economy has the potential to grow into the next 10 trillion yuan-level economic sector, with a huge commercial network behind it.
On May 22nd, a report by the Chinese media “Economic Observer” quoted insiders saying that in late April, Zhou Chenghu was taken away on the spot by staff of the disciplinary inspection and supervisory commission from the office building of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The relationships between Zhou Chenghu and his numerous affiliated companies are one of the reasons for the investigation.
Business registry information shows that Zhou Chenghu has significant relationships with more than 20 enterprises, where he has held or currently holds shares in at least 17 companies and has served or currently serves as a senior executive in 19 companies. These companies are mainly involved in satellite remote sensing, and geographic information fields.
Zhou Chenghu is a director of Suzhou Zhongke Tianqi Remote Sensing Technology Co., Ltd. After equity penetration, he is the actual controlling shareholder of the company. The current legal representative, chairman, and manager of Zhongke Tianqi Remote Sensing Company is Zhou Chengyi. An employee of the company mentioned that Zhou Chengyi and Zhou Chenghu are relatives.
Zhou Chenghu is also a major shareholder and actual controller of Suzhou Tianqi Geographic Information Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., and Suzhou Jianshi Information Technology Co., Ltd. The current legal representative of these two companies is named Zhou Chengmei.
Positioning itself as the “world’s leading low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing network operator” – “Low Altitude Giant”, Guangzhou Zhongke Yuntu Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., has Zhou Chenghu as its largest shareholder with a stake of 18.63%.
Public information indicates that Zhou Chenghu was born in Hai’an, Nantong, Jiangsu in August 1964 and is an authoritative expert in the fields of Cartography and Geographic Information Systems in China. From 1996 to 2015, Zhou Chenghu served as the director of the National Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information Systems; from 2008 to 2016, he was the Deputy Director of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences; and in 2013, he was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.