On January 20, Chinese media reported the sudden death of Wang Xiaopeng, former deputy director of the China Academy of Military Sciences and a well-known defense expert, at the age of 64, 8 days prior to the report.
According to a report by The Paper on January 20, Wang Xiaopeng passed away on January 12, 2026, due to a sudden illness.
On January 21, a staff member of the China Academy of Military Sciences confirmed to a Chinese media outlet that Wang Xiaopeng had passed away on January 12 due to a sudden illness, but did not disclose further details.
An article from the Netease account “Dr. Observation” claimed, based on an anonymous insider, that Wang Xiaopeng had died from a sudden heart-related illness that could not be saved, describing the incident as unexpected and rapidly deteriorating.
Following Wang Xiaopeng’s passing, both the China Academy of Military Sciences and the Xi’an Institute of Applied Optics, where Wang had previously worked, have not officially announced his death to the public.
On January 20, Xi’an University of Technology, Wang Xiaopeng’s alma mater, published an obituary on its official website, stating that Wang had passed away at 17:14 on January 12, 2026, due to a sudden illness.
Wang Xiaopeng’s last public appearance was on August 15, 2022, when he attended the 60th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the Xi’an Institute of Applied Optics. At that event, Wang, representing retired leaders, gave a speech in the presence of numerous military and local industrial officials.
Born in Lantian, Shaanxi, Wang Xiaopeng graduated from the Department of Optical Engineering at Xi’an University of Technology (now the School of Optoelectronic Engineering) in July 1984. He began his career at the 205 Institute of Armaments as a researcher, obtained a Ph.D. from Nanjing University of Science and Technology in October 2010.
Throughout his career, Wang Xiaopeng held various positions within the military and defense research institutions until his retirement in August 2022, including roles such as Vice President of the China Academy of Military Sciences and Chairman of Northern Optoelectronics Group.
The China Academy of Military Sciences and the Xi’an Institute of Applied Optics, both under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, provide weapon equipment and technical support services to the army, navy, air force, rocket force, information support units, and armed police.
Recently, the Chinese military-industrial complex has experienced continuous turmoil. On December 13 of last year, Xia Bin, former director of Harbin First Machinery Group Co., Ltd., underwent disciplinary review by the group’s disciplinary inspection team and investigation by the Harbin Municipal Supervisory Commission. Similarly, on December 7, Hu Keyu, deputy general manager of Zhenhua Oil Holdings Co., Ltd., underwent disciplinary review and investigation.
Furthermore, there have been changes in leadership within the defense industry group. The former chairman, Cheng Fubo, has been appointed as the chairman of Aviation Industry Corporation of China, while the former general manager, Liu Dashan, resigned with his whereabouts unknown. Liu Shiquan, the previous chairman, had his Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference membership revoked in December 2023. The former party secretary and first chairman, Yin Jiaxu, was investigated in April 2021, three years after stepping down.