BEIJING: Zhou Guangzhao, a renowned physicist and former president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has died at the age of 95.
A pivotal figure in China’s nuclear weapons program, Zhou was honored with the prestigious “Two Bombs, One Satellite” Meritorious Service Medal in 1999. Zhou made significant contributions to theoretical physics, including his discovery in 1960 of the partial conservation of axial current — one of the most important contributions to particle physics and the key to understanding the interactions of fundamental particles known as pions.
His work was also instrumental in the research and development of China’s first atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb and other nuclear weapons. In his distinguished career, Zhou served as chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology and vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the 9th National People’s Congress. He received numerous awards, including the first prize of the National Natural Science Prize in 1964 and the first prize for Major Scientific and Technological Achievements from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1987.
Despite his achievements, Zhou was known for his humility, once remarking: “Whether it is an atomic bomb or a hydrogen bomb, it is not the work of a few individuals but the collective effort of over 100,000 people. If you want to evaluate my contribution, it is just one hundred-thousandth.” –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
