A rocket engine research institute has justified its effort to retain a key researcher who quit for higher pay.

"It costs a lot to cultivate talent, thus it is reasonable for us to try to retain a talent," Liu Zhirang, director of the Sixth Research Institute of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, told Beijing Youth Daily.

His remarks came after a widely circulated article on WeChat claiming a researcher, named Zhang Xiaoping, quit the institute to work for a private carrier rocket company, where he would be paid much more.

According to a document with the stamp of the institute posted in the article, Zhang is a core member of the research team on a key rocket engine project related to the country's manned lunar landing mission in the future, and his quitting had a tremendous impact on the development of the project.

The document shows the institute tried to ask Zhang back after the project met with technical problems. Zhang allegedly earned only 120,000 yuan ($17,450) a year. At the new company, he could make 1 million yuan, according to the article.

Liu acknowledged some talent in the institute had moved to private companies in recent years, but said Zhang's leaving does not have an impact on the rocket engine project, as there are many other technical experts at the institute.

Liu also said the institute would ponder how to retain talent in the future.