Seven academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, all members of the Communist Party of China, have passed away within a span of two weeks from January 6 to 19, 2026.
Among the deceased were esteemed experts in various fields, including nuclear physicist Wei Baowen, former president of Beijing University of Technology Zuo Tieyong, and Professor Zhou Liwei from Beijing Institute of Technology, all renowned specialists in Communist Party military industries.
Ding Guoyu, a geologist and researcher at the Earthquake Prediction Research Institute of China Earthquake Administration, and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, passed away on January 19, 2026, in Beijing at the age of 95. Ding, originally from Hebei Gaoyang, had joined the Communist Party in November 1953 and was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1980.
Another prominent figure, Liang Dongcai, a molecular biophysicist and former director of the Institute of Biophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, died in Beijing on January 18, 2026, at the age of 94. Liang, born in Guangzhou, Guangdong in May 1932, joined the Communist Party in 1961 and became an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1980.
Renowned atmospheric optics specialist and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Gong Zhiben, passed away in Hefei, Anhui on January 17, 2026, at the age of 91. Gong, born in Taicang, Jiangsu in December 1935, had joined the Communist Party in 1981 and was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2003.
Weigh Bo Wen, a nuclear physicist and accelerator physicist, former director of the Institute of Modern Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, passed away in Lanzhou on January 17, 2026, at the age of 91. Wei, born in Yuzhou, Henan in November 1935, had joined the Communist Party in August 1983 and was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in October 1995.
Zuo Tieyong, a materials scientist and former president of Beijing University of Technology, died in Beijing on January 14, 2026, at the age of 90. Zuo, born in Beijing in September 1936, joined the Communist Party in January 1960 and was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 1995.
Jian Shuisheng, a fiber optic communication technology expert, and professor at Beijing Jiaotong University, passed away in Beijing on January 8, 2026, at the age of 97. Jian, born in Pingxiang, Jiangxi in October 1929, joined the Communist Party in 1984 and was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1995.
Zhou Liwei, an electronic optics and optoelectronic imaging scientist, and outstanding professor at Beijing Institute of Technology, passed away in Beijing on the evening of January 6, 2026, at the age of 94. Zhou, born in Shanghai in September 1932, joined the Communist Party in January 1956 and was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 1999.
According to official obituaries, these academicians were praised as outstanding Communist Party members and had made significant contributions to various fields of science and technology in China. The recent surge of deaths among academicians has raised concerns, with the country witnessing a streak of prominent figures passing away within a short period.
Amid the approaching Chinese New Year and a resurgence of the pandemic in China, hospitals and clinics are reported to be overwhelmed, with many elderly individuals and even young people sadly losing their lives. Funeral homes and crematoriums are said to be busier than ever, indicating a potential strain on the healthcare system during these challenging times.