China must more actively seek global lead in quantum race: think tank
Beijing could also diversify its technological partnerships overseas and exchange expertise, says influential mainland research house
China should more actively pursue the global lead in quantum governance to secure a strategic edge, an influential mainland think tank has urged, as dual-use quantum tech emerges as an increasingly important front in the country’s wide-ranging rivalry with the United States.
“The competition in quantum computing is not merely a race in technology but a test of national innovation systems and strategic endurance,” Zhang Yi, a senior research fellow with Grandview Institution, wrote in an article published last month.
“China must seize the current technological window of opportunity and, while safeguarding supply-chain security, take a more open and proactive role in global quantum governance to secure a leading position in the future technological landscape.”
Beijing in recent years has pinned ever higher hopes on quantum technologies to drive economic growth, bolster tech self-reliance and advance its defence capabilities.