Chen Chunxian

Chen Chunxian (simplified Chinese: 陈春先; traditional Chinese: 陳春先; pinyin: Chén Chūnxiān; 1934 – 11 August 2004) was a Chinese theoretical physicist and businessman. He was the founder of Zhongguancun in Beijing, often called China's Silicon Valley.[1] He initiated the project to create China's first tokamak device in 1973.

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Chen.

Biography

Chen Chunxian was born in 1934 in Sichuan Province, China. In 1958, he graduated from the Department of Physics of Moscow State University.[2]

From 1959 to 1986, he was a researcher at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.[2] He initiated the development of China's first tokamak device and recruited engineer Yan Luguang to the project. In 1973, their collaboration created the CT-6.[3]

In 1979, Chen visited Boston and Silicon Valley in the United State,s and was greatly impressed. On October 23, 1980, he founded the first non-governmental entity in Zhongguancun, called the "Advanced Technology Service Association". (Only government-run entities can be called "company" in China.)[2]

Chen's company was shut down after an investigation, but he received validation from the central government in 1983, when Hu Yaobang mentioned him in a national statement. Many independent high-tech companies were founded in Zhongguancun, including Lenovo.[2]

In his later years, Chen lived in poor conditions and without health care.[2] He died on 11 August 2004.[4]

gollark: Well, see, it decreases unemployment because people can work on robot development, but it increases unemployment because robots theoretically might put people out of work.
gollark: Or just two governments competing on the free market. But controlling the same land area.
gollark: We should have two monopoly commissions which compete for the... monopoly... removal... market?
gollark: I wonder if the game lets you create an anarchocapitalist paradise.
gollark: Prevent database.

References
  1. http://www.china.org.cn/english/travel/51023.htm
  2. Lawrence R. Sullivan; Nancy Y. Liu (2015). Historical Dictionary of Science and Technology in Modern China. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-8108-7855-6.
  3. "严济慈之子严陆光院士：格言点亮人生之光". Sciencenet.cn. 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  4. "Father of 'China's Silicon Valley' Dies", China.org.cn, 11 August 2004. Accessed 26 July 2016.
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