How Peking University is fuelling China’s hypersonic weapons push

Chinese state media has revealed for the first time how Peking University – one of the country’s most prestigious institutions – has contributed to China’s hypersonic weapons development.

A key figure in the university’s work in the field is Huang Lin, a professor with the department of mechanics and engineering science who has been researching hypersonic vehicles for the past two decades and played a key role in the successful first flight test of China’s hypersonic weapons, according to a report by Beijing-based Guangming Daily on Monday.

Huang is an expert in control science, which studies the technology and engineering of how to control the output and operations of various systems, such as devices to regulate the speed, precision and performance of trains and planes. His work has addressed flight control challenges at hypersonic speeds in near space, as well as autonomous coordinated flight control.

For years, the United States has imposed sanctions on Chinese universities, citing their involvement in military-related projects. However, in practice, it is difficult to draw a clear line between basic scientific research and military applications. Peking University has never appeared on US sanctions lists.

The 1966 test of the DF-2A missile is considered a critical moment in China’s nuclear weapons push. Photo: Handout

In 2006, Huang was inspired to conduct “applied basic theoretical research in line with major national needs” after attending the 40th anniversary of the successful test of the DF-2A, a surface-to-surface missile armed with a nuclear warhead, according to Guangming Daily. The 1966 test was seen as a critical moment when China established nuclear missile capabilities that could be deployed in combat.

South China Morning Post