China denies foreigner's hiring to run its radio telescope

China has denied a report in the US media that it is planing to hire a foreigner to run the world's largest radio telescope in Southwest Guizhou Province, saying there is no such requirement as the prestigious post has been filled already.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said on its Sina Weibo account yesterday there was no such recruitment of chief scientist for the 500-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in Pingtang county.
It said that the post of the FAST chief scientist was filled when the project had been launched in July 2016, state-run Global Times reported.
However, the CAS has not identified the chief scientist.

The academy said it will continue to support and encourage the participation of top Chinese and international scientists in FAST-related work.
The US news-magazine 'Newsweek' reported on its website on Thursday that China was offering a 1.9 million yuan research grant and free housing plus besides other perks for the foreigner-only job.

The world's largest radio telescope was completed in July 2016, when the remaining of 4,450 panels were installed in the big dish, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
In the first two or three years in operation, the telescope will undergo further adjustments, and Chinese scientists will use it for early-stage research before it is opened to international scientists, said Peng Bo, director of the NAO Radio Astronomy Technology Laboratory.

Scientists can also engage in remote observations in other cities, Peng said.