China Closes In On US In Quantum Technology Race: Here's What We Know So Far

In the race for quantum supremacy, China appears to be closing in on the United States, according to recent patent data released by China's intellectual property office.

Quantum computing, which harnesses quantum science to solve complex problems at unprecedented speeds, accounted for over half of China's total domestic patent grants from 2013 to 2022, reported scmp.

Meanwhile, quantum communications, which use quantum physics to secure data, comprised nearly a third of domestic patents during the same period.

In the past 10 years, China’s quantum technology has “achieved a historical leap” from lagging behind top countries to becoming a leader in patents and production, a paper said, in reference to the country’s domestic quantum landscape.

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Notably, China accounted for 37 per cent of quantum patent applications worldwide from 2003 to 2022, surpassing the US at just over 28 per cent.

While China has excelled in quantum communication, it still lags behind the US in quantum computing and sensing technology.

A 2022 report by the London-based data analytics company GlobalData stated that China trailed the US in quantum computing technology by about five years.

However, recent reports suggest that the gap is narrowing, with the US lead becoming increasingly "debatable."

It's important to note that the US incorporated quantum technology into national planning in 1994, while China only integrated the technology into national planning in 2013, according to a paper on global quantum technology.

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