China's Quantum Technology: Computing, Communication, and Cryptography

China has made quantum technology a top national priority, investing billions of dollars in quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum cryptography. The program is led by the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei and backed by substantial government funding.

China's approach is distinctive: while the US leads in quantum computing hardware through companies like Google and IBM, China has focused heavily on quantum communication — building the world's only quantum communication satellite and a 2,000+ km quantum network on the ground.

Both approaches matter, and China is now investing aggressively in quantum computing as well.

In 2016, China launched Micius (墨子号), the world's first quantum communication satellite — a landmark achievement that no other country has replicated:

Key achievements:

• Demonstrated quantum key distribution (QKD) between satellite and ground stations over 1,200 km

• Performed quantum entanglement distribution over 1,200 km — a world record

• Enabled the first intercontinental quantum-encrypted video call (Beijing to Vienna, 2017)

• Proved that space-based quantum communication is feasible at global scale

Strategic significance: Micius demonstrated that China can establish quantum-secured communication channels that are theoretically immune to interception — even by future quantum computers. This has profound implications for military and diplomatic communications.

Building on Micius, China has constructed the world's largest quantum communication network:

Beijing-Shanghai backbone: A 2,000+ km fiber-optic quantum communication network connecting Beijing, Jinan, Hefei, and Shanghai. Operational since 2017, it provides quantum-secured communication for government, banking, and military users.

Metropolitan networks: Multiple cities including Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Guiyang have deployed local quantum communication networks for commercial and government use.

Integration with satellites: The ground fiber networks are integrated with the Micius satellite, creating a hybrid fiber-satellite quantum communication infrastructure that spans the entire country.

No other country has built quantum communication infrastructure at this scale. It represents a genuine strategic advantage in secure communications.

China's quantum computing program has produced notable results, particularly through the Jiuzhang (九章) series developed by Pan Jianwei's team at USTC:

Jiuzhang (2020): Photonic quantum computer achieving quantum advantage (then called quantum supremacy) on boson sampling problems. Named after the ancient Chinese mathematical text 'The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art.'

Jiuzhang 2.0 (2021): Improved photonic system with 113 detected photons, solving boson sampling problems 10 trillion times faster than the world's fastest supercomputer.

Zuchongzhi (2021): 66-qubit superconducting quantum processor achieving quantum advantage on random circuit sampling — comparable to Google's Sycamore result.

Zuchongzhi 2.1 (2022): 66-qubit superconducting processor with improved performance and error rates.

China is pursuing both photonic and superconducting approaches to quantum computing, maintaining a diversified portfolio similar to the US.

China's commercial quantum computing sector is emerging, with Origin Quantum (本源量子) as the leading company:

Origin Quantum:

• Founded in 2017 as a USTC spinoff

• Delivered China's first commercially available quantum computer (24-qubit) in 2023

• Developing 72-qubit and larger systems

• Offers cloud-based quantum computing access

• Building a complete quantum computing software ecosystem

Other commercial players:

• QuantumCTek: Quantum communication equipment and network solutions

• Qasky: Quantum cryptography and security products

• CIQTEK: Quantum measurement instruments and scientific equipment

The commercial ecosystem is younger and smaller than the US (IBM, Google, IonQ, Rigetti) but is growing rapidly with strong government support.

China's quantum technology program has significant implications for global security and the technology balance:

Quantum-resistant cryptography: China's investment in quantum computing creates urgency for transitioning to post-quantum cryptographic standards worldwide. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could break current public-key encryption.

Quantum communication advantage: China's lead in quantum communication networks provides a strategic advantage in secure communications that is difficult to replicate quickly.

Technology competition: The US and China are in a genuine quantum technology race, with different strengths — US leads in computing hardware, China leads in communication infrastructure.

Export controls: Quantum technology is increasingly subject to export restrictions, with both the US and China controlling critical quantum technology transfers.

For anyone interested in cybersecurity, national security, or the future of computing, China's quantum technology program is essential to understand — it represents a new domain of great-power competition with real-world consequences.