A bottle of Kweichow Moutai Photo: VCG

The Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) on Thursday responded to questions from Chinese netizens about the chief engineer of liquor brand Moutai Group Wang Li being on the shortlist for China’s 2021 academicians, saying that Wang Li is still at the stage of recommendation.

The shortlist has raised questions from netizens, who wondered whether the selection of “liquor academician” was reasonable as academicians should be honorary titles granted to prestigious scientists.

All candidates must meet the prerequisites, and the quality of the selection will be improved, the CAE said on Thursday.

Wang Li, the chief engineer of China's top liquor brand Moutai Group, said the Guizhou Association for Science and Technology had recommended her to be named an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), according to media reports. Unlike other candidates who come from universities or research institutes, Wang Li received a lot attention from the media as she is the chief engineer of a brand of liquor.

The move was questioned by netizens on whether the selection of "liquor academician" was reasonable. 

Speculation of corruption and cronyism have long haunted the selection procedure of academicians to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), especially after Xie Jianping, a researcher under China Tobacco, a State-owned manufacturer of tobacco products, was elected academician of the CAE in 2011 for his research on how to reduce the health risks of smoking.

As an engineering technology application researcher, Wang Li enjoys a special allowance from the State Council, and is a Chinese Wine Master, Chief Liquor Taster, and Chinese Wine Appraiser.

The selection process for academicians of the CAS and the CAE was officially launched on January 1, 2021. The CAS will select 73 new academicians and 88 new academicians will be selected by the CAE this year, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Global Times