China's Ministry of Defence denied on January 29 that the investigation into Zhang involves leaking nuclear weapon secrets, during a press conference in Beijing. The denial addresses reports linking evidence against Zhang to Gu Jun, former general manager of China National Nuclear Corp. The Wall Street Journal reported the evidence originated from Gu Jun, according to a post by analyst Henry Gao on X on January 30 within the reporting window from 2:16 PM to 5:16 PM UTC. Gao questioned the reporting by WSJ journalists Lingling Wei and Chun Han, noting familiarity with the Chinese system where suspects face pressure. The Ministry's statement yesterday confirms the official position, while Gao described Beijing as in damage control mode without specifying the investigation's cause.
