Origin Quantum’s Founder Pushes For Action to Secure China’s Quantum Self-Reliance

Insider Brief

• Guo Guoping is calling on Beijing to strengthen the nation’s quantum computing industrial chains.
• Guo is a prominent quantum computing scientist and founder of Origin Quantum, as well as a deputy of China’s National People’s Congress.
• In the shadow of technological containment, the scientist said that the nation should be focused on the strategic importance of self-reliance in quantum.

A leader of quantum computing in China is urging action against the growing global competitiveness and the increasing technological containment of Western nations, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) is reporting.

In a push for technological sovereignty and competitiveness, Guo Guoping, a prominent quantum computing scientist and founder of Origin Quantum, is calling on Beijing to strengthen the nation’s quantum computing industrial chains, according to SCMP. Guo, a deputy to China’s paramount legislative body, the National People’s Congress (NPC), emphasized the importance of overcoming Western technological containment and developing independent manufacturing chains in an interview with the official Science and Technology Daily, which was reported in SCMP.

Guo told the paper that China should be focused on the strategic importance of self-reliance in this cutting-edge technological field.

“Building an independent industry chain for the sector has become one of China’s top priorities,” Guo told the paper,

The timing of the proposal by the distinguished quantum physicist at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and a pivotal figure in China’s quantum computing leadership is important, SCMP reported. Guo’s proposal precedes the annual “two sessions,” a crucial assembly of legislators and political advisers in Beijing.

Guo’s call to action reflects the heightened global race for quantum computing supremacy and the technology’s potential to revolutionize various sectors, from cryptography to complex system simulation.

Guo, who has been a leading force in China’s quantum computing advancement, also pointed out the significant strides made by his company and others in the field. Since its inception in 2017, Origin Quantum has been at the forefront, with its Origin Wukong quantum computer marking a significant milestone as China’s latest and most sophisticated programmable quantum computing machine available to global users since January.

Acknowledging the challenges China faces in achieving technological self-sufficiency and industrialization in this arena, Guo cited the dominance of Western countries in critical technologies such as dilution refrigerators and quantum processors, essential for quantum computing’s ultra-low temperature environments.

The scientist also highlighted the disconnect between research and industrial application and argued for a strategic, long-term plan to bridge this gap. This would involve increased financial investment and a focus on nurturing talent to bolster China’s quantum computing industry from research and development to market-ready applications.

Supporting Guo’s call, an anonymous quantum scientist and manager of a Wuhan-based start-up in the field underscored the necessity of state-level industrial support policies and investments, SCMP reported. Given the nascent stage of quantum technology and its approaching horizon of practical applications, comprehensive support covering the entire industrial chain—from academia and research institutes to businesses—is deemed crucial for China’s ambition to be a global leader in quantum computing.

This call for a concerted effort to enhance China’s quantum computing capabilities and industrial infrastructure is unique among recent rhetoric from Beijing, which has been mostly silent on the escalating trade restrictions between China and the West. However, this could simply be a strategic move to secure China’s place in the fiercely competitive global technological landscape, but could also be viewed as a cry for help from the emerging quantum community. As nations vie for supremacy in this disruptive technology, China’s focus on developing an independent and robust quantum computing industry chain could be a game-changer in the global tech race, according to the newspaper.