For more than seven decades, Chen Junwu, a recipient of the July 1 Medal, devoted his life to advancing China's petroleum and petrochemical industry.

A renowned expert on oil refining engineering technology, Chen led breakthroughs that helped build China's catalytic cracking technology from the ground up, advancing the country's refining and coal chemical engineering to world-class levels.

In August 2010, the world's first set of 1.8 million-ton methanol-to-olefins units was completed and put into operation in Baotou, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, under Chen's guidance.

Even in his 90s, he continued to go to his office every week, reading technical papers and mentoring young engineers. 

In 2019, Chen was honored with the title of "role model of the times" by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Chen passed away in 2024 at the age of 97, leaving behind not only groundbreaking technologies, but also generations of engineers inspired by his lifelong dedication to serving his country through science.