Liu refused an invitation from his supervisor to stay in the UK and returned to China at the end of 1980.

In the 1980s, due to the national security environment and foreign technology blockade, China was in urgent need of technological breakthroughs in key defense equipment.

Liu Yongtan and his team started from scratch and spent 10 months completing a 200,000-word report, which fully demonstrated the theoretical possibility of a new radar system.

In 1989, they finally successfully built China's first new radar system station in Weihai, Shandong province, achieving a breakthrough in the range of sea detection.

His team also created the new radar detection system outlined in the previous report and realized a major original innovation in coastal defense early warning technology.

In 2011, Liu and his team again successfully developed a new radar system with full-time, all-weather and long-range detection capabilities, making another breakthrough in China's long-range maritime detection technology.

He has received lots of awards over the years, including the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award in 2018.

On Jan 8, 2019, President Xi Jinping presented the top awards to Liu for his achievements in radar technology.

At the high-profile ceremony, he also received a prize of 8 million yuan ($1.24 million). In August 2020, Liu and his wife Feng Bingrui, also a professor at the institute, decided to donate all the money to establish the Yongrui Fund to help the cultivation of talent in the electronic and information fields at the institute.

"I am just an ordinary teacher and a scientific research worker. I feel quite honored to have turned my ideals into reality," he said in the news release. "The achievements I have made are the result of the joint efforts of the institute and my team.

"This honor isn't just mine, it belongs to every patriotic intellectual in this great era," he said. "I hope more young students can develop a firm belief in serving the country and create more important and powerful tools that will benefit of the country in various fields."

"Everyone familiar with Liu knows that he is modest, incorruptible and self-disciplined," said Xiong Sihao, Party secretary of the institute. "Just like all great people of his generation, he interpreted the essence and the spirit of scientists through his outstanding achievements.

"He is the model for all teachers and students of the institute to follow and a beacon on our road as we strive forward."