The ability to negate the restrictions placed by the US and its allies in the quantum computing field also entrenched China's position in the domain
2008. The world-renowned quantum scientist Pan Jianwei returned to China and was allocated a lab at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) to kickstart China’s quantum programme. Fast forward a decade and China is the leading power in quantum communications and making consistent leaps in other areas of quantum technology.
Due to the use of the superposition (multiple states at the same time) principle, quantum computers are very adept at solving certain optimisation and scheduling problems that deal with enormous data sets, making them invaluable areas such as cybersecurity, cryptography, and blockchain technology, among many other emerging application domains. The last decade has seen exciting technological breakthroughs in the field of quantum computing due to the massive investments being poured by the public and private sectors. A wide array of sectors have benefitted from quantum computing to create simulation modelling (aeronautics and aviation), large-scale data analytics (space and cosmology programmes), forecasting (weather and climate), and building encryption systems (military and defence).
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While major technology giants have thrown their hats into the ring with their own in-house quantum computer programmes, states and their governments around the world are not far behind each having launched its own quantum initiative. The bulk of the funding of government policies related to quantum technologies is set aside for the development of state-of-the-art quantum computers.
The US: Once the Dominant Leader
The United States government has recognised quantum computing technology as a critical area due to its economic prosperity and national security concerns. The government launched the National Quantum Initiative in the year 2018 with a total budget overlay of $1.2 billion over the following 5 years. A National Quantum Coordination Office was established within the White House to oversee the implementation of the programme. A majority of the funds were dedicated to building quantum research facilities along with an additional $237 million allocated as part of the 2021 Budget. Quantum computing and the development of quantum computers got the lion’s share of the initial funding from the government.
The United States government has recognised quantum computing technology as a critical area due to its economic prosperity and national security concerns.
An added advantage for the United States is the presence of American private sector companies which are actively involved in the development of quantum computers. Tech giants like Google, IBM, and Microsoft now also offer online programming and cloud services to build and access quantum computing applications. Quantum computing has clearly become an area of concern for the US with regard to China’s rise in the domain as well as potential military applications of the technology so it is not surprising that techno-nationalist tendencies have been showcased by the American government in this regard. For instance, the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) was extended to quantum technology products in 2018. This included critical quantum refrigerators and cryogenics along with software and AI for building quantum computers. This was done in order to make cross-border collaboration with Chinese nationals and academic institutions more difficult.
China and its Rapid Rise
While establishing itself as the leader in quantum communications technology, China soon started dedicating its resources to developing alternative quantum computing technologies. As the global leader in patents related to quantum communication and cryptography, China has advanced by leaps and bounds in the quantum computing domain over the last decade. Once behind the West in developing quantum computers, China now houses two of the world’s fastest quantum computers on its soil. The unveiling of ‘Zuchongzhi-2’, the country’s fastest quantum computer, in late 2021 has effectively made the country a powerhouse in quantum computing and on par with the US.
Once behind the West in developing quantum computers, China now houses two of the world’s fastest quantum computers on its soil.
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The pace at which China has adopted quantum computing technology is truly exceptional, with the country claiming ‘quantum advantage’ in both the superconducting qubit and photonic tech (two different types of technologies used to develop quantum computers). Immense state support has been provided by the Chinese government to both academic institutions (University of Science and Technology China (USTC), Tsinghua and Peking Universities) and private companies (Origin Quantum, Qasky, and Huawei Cloud) for the development of quantum computers in the country. The recent advances made by China in the domain of quantum computing have resulted in increased global protectionism in the field.
The Catalysts for the Rise
Quantum computing works on the principle of ‘qubits’, also called quantum bits that have the ability to store values anywhere between 0 and 1 resulting in more computational capacity. To operationalise these qubits, there are several different technologies that have been developed. Each has its own advantages and dependencies based on which the choice is made by the government or private sector to invest.
In China, the role of the state and the government have played an important role in spearheading its scientific and technological progress. The synergy that exists between the state and the domestic private sector has been exemplary in various domains and quantum technology remains no exception. The government has provided funding to academic institutions in setting up labs for quantum computing research and financial support to domestic tech companies engaged in building real-world applications for quantum computers. In a way, the state acts like a bridge and a facilitator helping translate academic research in the quantum computing space to build actual quantum computers and develop applications for these devices.
Apart from the role of the government and the state, one of the main catalysts for the rise of China in certain critical and strategic technologies is the ability to bypass restrictions that might prevent its growth and development in the field. There have been numerous export controls and import restrictions in the quantum tech domain on cryogenic (very low temperatures) cooling systems. But Chinese researchers ended up developing breakthroughs in an alternative field of quantum computing technology such as photonic computing that does not need intense refrigeration. Recently, there were also reports about Chinese scientists developing cooling systems using Helium gas that would dilute the existing restrictions in place. Shanghai-based researchers were able to create a device that could create the extremely low temperatures that quantum computers typically operate in. This would mean that China, regardless of the technological sanctions and other restrictions on its industry, continues to rise in the quantum computing field leaving others trailing behind.
A period of 15 years was all it took for China to rise from a nascent quantum power to one of the world leaders in quantum computing technology. Currently, there has been no dedicated government policy in India toward the field of quantum computing specifically. The 2020 Budget speech saw the announcement of the National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications (NM-QTA) which was aimed at building an overall quantum technology ecosystem across the country.
A period of 15 years was all it took for China to rise from a nascent quantum power to one of the world leaders in quantum computing technology.
Right now, the quantum computing domain in India has been dependent on the private sector with a couple of key public-private partnerships driving the conversation. The year 2021 was a landmark year for quantum computing initiatives in India. Early in the year, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) announced a tie-up with the technology giant, Amazon, specifically the Amazon Web Services (AWS) branch of the company, to set up the country’s first-ever quantum computing lab called the Quantum Computing Applications Laboratory. A global pioneer in quantum computing, IBM India decided to start the IBM Quantum Educator programme in the country. The programme involves IBM providing students with quantum computer prototypes, Qiskit (open-source software by IBM), and other resources to improve research and education in the quantum computing field. Other than technology giants, India also plays home to up and coming startups involved in the quantum computing field such as BosonQ, Qnu Labs and Automatski.
The role of a facilitator by the Chinese government to the academia and the private sector ensured continuous uninterrupted technological development. The ability to negate the restrictions placed by the US and its allies in the quantum computing field also entrenched its position in the domain. It has also led to key technological breakthroughs that would not have seemed possible in case the controls were not in place. Hence, this has created a win-win scenario for the Chinese quantum tech industry, generating both IP and reducing dependencies on the West. India should seek to learn from China’s catalysts for growth to succeed in its own quantum computing initiative.
Arjun Gargeyas is a research analyst at Takshashila Institution. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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