Production line of quantum chips Photo: Courtesy of Origin Quantum Computing Technology Co

In the high-tech industrial zone in Hefei, capital city of East China's Anhui Province, a number of quantum industry chain companies covering quantum communication, quantum computing and quantum precision measurement are dotted on both sides of the Yunfei Road, known as "Quantum Boulevard" or "Quantum Street."

At one of China's a leading quantum tech company - Origin Quantum Computing Technology Co - engineers and research staff were busy testing China's first quantum chip production line.

Based on this production line, Chinese scientists unveiled a third-generation superconducting quantum computer called "Origin Wukong," which was developed by the company. 

The delivery of "Origin Wukong" allowed China to become the third country in the world with the ability to deliver a complete quantum computer, cementing the country's leading position in quantum computing, Guo Guoping, chief scientist of Origin Quantum, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

Guo is also deputy director of the Key Laboratory of Quantum Information of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He explained that a quantum computing chip serves as the processor for quantum computers. Powered by a 72-qubit superconducting quantum chip called "Wukong chip," the computer is the most advanced programmable and deliverable superconducting quantum computer made in China.

Wukong is the name of the fictional character Monkey King from the 16th century classic Journey to the West, who was endowed with magic powers. The name symbolizes the machine's formidable capabilities.

"From quantum chips to quantum computers and operating systems, we independently develop and control quantum chip software and hardware, which means that in the quantum computing race, we have achieved independent control over core technologies," Guo said.

Market competition

Quantum computers are seen as powerful tools with the potential to revolutionize traditional industries and drive future innovation. As two leading players in this heated race, both China and the US are investing significantly in research and development. 

Venture capital funding in quantum computing stood at $659 million in 2022 and jumped to $1.1 billion in 2023, according to London-based data and analytics firm GlobalData. Meanwhile, the market size is expected to grow to $10 billion between 2026 and 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of between 30-50 percent.

Notably, the industry data provider in a report in 2022 said the US was about five years ahead of China in the quantum computing race. Now, in 2024, the firm considers the two countries as "nearly equal" in the competition.

"Quantum computing has become a battleground for global technology giants," Guo said.

In a recent speech, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred advanced computing and quantum technology as two of the "foundational" technologies transforming the world, saying that it is particularly consequential for national competitiveness and security.

"Quantum is potentially the most consequential computing breakthrough of the century. It could throw into uncharted waters nearly every aspect of security in our society, from banking, to energy grids, to government communications and operations. So, we have to build the standards now to safeguard against these risks," Blinken said.

In terms of the overall quantum tech ecosystem building, the US has done a better job so far, Guo said, "but we should hold a rational attitude toward China's development."

On the one hand, all key and principal concepts of quantum information, including quantum computing, quantum communication and quantum precision measurement, were not first proposed by China. While China's quantum computing is still in the scientific research stage, the US' quantum computing efforts are applied in commercial environments, Guo noted.

From the perspective of industry ecology, the leading quantum computing companies in the US, led by IBM, took the first steps in establishing the international quantum computing industry alliance, with companies from the US, Japan and South Korea taking part, but notably excluding China, Guo said.

US suppression 

The US Department of Commerce on May 9 announced stringent export controls to stymie Chinese quantum research, and Origin Quantum Computing Technology was added to 37 Chinese entities on the trade restriction list. The move is part of an updated US suppression on major technology industries in China.

However, recent results in China reveal that the gap in quantum computing with the US is narrowing, Guo said. 

After "Origin Wukong" came online on January 6, offering limited-time free access to global users, it has clocked up more than 9 million remote visits, completing 231,000 computing tasks for users in 124 countries and regions, the company told the Global Times.

On May 12, "Origin Wukong" announced a list of full-stack autonomous quantum computer products, including 11 types of origin products. This series of independent products constitute China's first independent superconducting quantum computer manufacturing chain.

The self-developed third-generation superconducting quantum computer indicates that China is not developing technology in a "small courtyard with a high fence". "Instead, we offer free access to users in 124 countries and regions, showing our strength and confidence," Guo said.

"We should be confident in our homegrown development and innovation," Guo said. 

The development of quantum computing is a process driven by both users and the market. In specific application fields, such as finance, meteorology, drug research and development and more, industrial iteration can achieve acceleration with the help of quantum computing.

"At present, the iterative progress of China's quantum technology is impacted by limited application scenarios, and we are expanding the scenarios through more cooperation with a supercomputing center," Guo said. 

In April of this year, China launched its national supercomputing network, marked by an inauguration event in North China's Tianjin city, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The platform is intended to alleviate the imbalance of computing power supply and demand, and provide support for the development of the digital economy.

Over 200 service providers offering applications, data and computing models have joined the network, contributing over 3,200 products that encompass cutting-edge digital innovations like scientific computing, industrial simulation and AI model training.

In April, "Origin Wukong" began collaboration with the network.

"The quantum technology industry is definitely not a matter of a single research team or an individual. We should try to establish a quantum ecosystem, with the integration and collaboration of various disciplines and industries," Guo said. 

Quantum 'spring'

Despite challenges, a quantum "spring" or an innovation renaissance of quantum computing has arrived, Guo said.

China's policymakers have attached great importance to scientific and technological innovation and talent cultivation, nurturing emerging industries like quantum technology, laying the foundation for future industrial leadership.

"The Chinese government is ramping up efforts to foster emerging industries and future industries, including quantum computing, make breakthroughs in core technologies in key areas and create new engines for sustained economic growth," Guo said.

During a visit to Anhui Province on May 10, Chinese Premier Li Qiang stressed the importance of accelerating the development of new quality productive forces and improving innovation-driven development capabilities. He said that China will increase investment in basic research to support innovative development, Xinhua reported. 

"Over the next five years, the world will witness the integration of quantum computing, supercomputing and intelligent computing, leading to rapid development supported by stronger computing power," Guo said. "We are working in this direction."