Quantum computing Despite US boycotts, China is making progress in quantum computing

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In the field of quantum technologies, China is striving for a leadership position and is already ahead of some Western companies in certain areas of development. We shed light on the current state of knowledge of the People's Republic in the field of quantum technologies.

Yunfei Street in the Chinese provincial city of Hefei has a new nickname. Computer scientists call it "Quantum Avenue." More than 60 Chinese technology companies in the fields of quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum measurement technology are clustered here in close proximity. The street is located in the "Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone." Just a few kilometers away is the "University of Science and Technology of China" (USTC), one of the leading universities in the People's Republic for "Quantum Computing."

In a relatively small space, leading universities, state and private enterprises, generously funded government research laboratories, and other players in the field of quantum computing come together here in the capital of Anhui Province.

It is currently China's leading "Science and Technology Cluster" in the field, though only one of several in the country. In recent years, a globally unique ecosystem for scientific and technological innovations has emerged in the People's Republic. Scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs, as well as government officials, are in close exchange with one another, researching new cutting-edge technologies and attempting to quickly convert them into market-ready applications.

Top spot in the Global Innovation Index

In the summer of 2024, the "World Intellectual Property Organization," a UN agency based in Geneva, published its latest Global Innovation Index. It states that there are now 26 such "science and technology clusters" in China, which is a global leader. The USA follows in second place, and Germany ranks third with eight such clusters.

In the global race to develop this new technology, the USA leads in some areas, while China is catching up strongly in others and has already taken technological leadership in some. "China leads in the field of quantum communication, lags behind in computing (where the USA is outstanding), and is on par with the United States in sensors," writes ITIF, an independent think tank in Washington, in a report published last fall.

Birthplaces of the technological revolution

Quantum technologies promise to revolutionize a whole range of technologies and industries, from secure data transmission in finance to drug research and military cryptology. Therefore, the USA, the EU, and China are investing many billions of euros in promoting this strategic key technology.

Although Washington has restricted the sale of critical hardware in the field of quantum technologies as part of its chip and technology boycotts against China, there have recently been impressive advances in this field in the People's Republic. One of the decisive reasons why China can continue to announce surprising breakthroughs despite the US boycotts is the "Science and Technology Clusters" like the one in Hefei.

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Origin Wukong

In 2017, the two Chinese quantum physicists Guo Guoping and Guo Guangcan left their alma mater USTC and founded the company "Origin Quantum" in Hefei. Since January 2024, China's first self-developed quantum computer called "Origin Wukong" has been running there.

The 72-qubit chip at the heart of Origin Wukong was developed just a stone's throw away at the "Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center." Currently, work is already underway on the next generation of quantum chips, with even more qubits and, as Chinese researchers hope, further improved stability. At the same time, a production line for quantum computers is being expanded at the research institute, so that eight instead of the previous five supercomputers can be produced there annually, the state Chinese portal ECNS recently reported.

The close collaboration between the "Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center" and the company Origin Quantum is an example of China's strategy to "build an ecosystem for quantum technologies," writes ECNS.

Results of the boycott culture

In May this year, the government of US President Joe Biden placed 22 Chinese companies and research institutions on its notorious "Entity List," including Origin Quantum. Just days later, Origin Quantum announced that it can now manufacture IDI microwave modules, an important key component for building quantum computers.

The more tech boycotts Washington imposes on Beijing, the more funds flow from the local government to research institutions and their commercial offshoots like those in Hefei. For example, quantum physicists there receive funds from the "China Internet Investment Fund," which is directly under the Cyberspace Administration of China, for further developing their Origin Wukong.

Despite the US boycotts, the communist state and party leadership in Beijing has set ambitious goals regarding quantum computers and related technologies. China is "not just participating but is striving for a leadership position" in this race, writes the government-affiliated newspaper Global Times. (sb)

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