China's 10 Leading-Edge Quantum Computing Projects
By Goldsea Staff | 29 Oct, 2025

From a fully developed, commercially available quantum computer to a thousand-mile secure quantum communications network to a satellite that demonstrates quantum teleportation, China has taken the lead in various areas of quantum computing.

China's next 5-year plan for 2026 - 2030 prioritizes as national goals accelerated development of quantum computing alongside fusion energy and bio-manufacturing.  It's not surprising as these are the three technologies that are likely to change civilization within a decade or two.

The Zhuchongzhi Superconducting Quantum Computer.  (Image by Gemini)

When it comes to quantum computing China has already taken the lead in secure quantum communications and quantum teleportation that will soon enable space-to-earth quantum networking.  It is also among the handful of nations to achieve a fully developed, commercial quantum computer with the Origin Wukong superconducting quantum computer, a cloud-accessible, 72-qubit superconducting quantum computer.  

Artist's conception  of the Mucius secure quantum communication and teleportation satellite.  (Image by Gemini)

One of China's most impressive quantum achievements to date is the record set by Jiuzhang 3.0 in controlling up to 255 detected photons in a boson sampling experiment.  This is one of the most convincing demonstrations of the advantages of photonics as a practical quantum computing modality.

Looking ahead to the imminent dawn of the quantum computing era, China is already building a self-sufficient manufacturing base that can manufacture and deploy quantum computers across a national network, while encouraging startups working to enable the transition to a quantum world by creating software bridges between classical and quantum computing.

Below are China's 10 most important quantum computing projects underway as compiled by Gemini:

The term "advanced quantum computing projects" in China generally refers to major government-backed initiatives, hardware breakthroughs, and key commercial endeavors across quantum computing and related quantum information sciences.1

While an official, ranked list of the "top 10" is not publicly available, the following are some of China's most significant and internationally recognized advanced quantum computing and quantum technology projects and milestones:

⚛️ Hardware and Computational Supremacy

These projects are focused on building powerful quantum computers using different technologies:2

1. Zuchongzhi Superconducting Quantum Computers:

   • Developed by the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) team led by Pan Jianwei.3

   • Milestones: Zuchongzhi 3.0 features a 105-qubit superconducting processor and has demonstrated a massive computational advantage for quantum random circuit sampling tasks, showcasing state-of-the-art qubit count and fidelity metrics.4

   • Commercial Deployment: The technology based on this series has been deployed for commercial use in the "Tianyan" quantum cloud platform.5

2. Jiuzhang Photonic Quantum Computers:

   • Also developed by the USTC team, this project uses photons (particles of light) to perform computations.6

   • Milestones: Jiuzhang 3.0 set a world record by controlling up to 255 detected photons in a boson sampling experiment, demonstrating quantum computational advantage in the photonic approach.7This technology is particularly strong in certain mathematical and simulation tasks.

3. Origin Wukong Superconducting Quantum Computer:

   • Developed by Origin Quantum, a major Chinese quantum computing company.

   • This is a fully self-developed, cloud-accessible, 72-qubit superconducting quantum computer, signaling the country's growing commercial and industrial production capabilities.8

4. Tianyan-504 Superconducting Quantum Computing Cluster:

   • A large-scale project developed by China Telecom Quantum Group and partners, which includes a cluster of quantum computers like the Tianyan-504 chip platform.

   • This initiative focuses on providing a commercial and cloud-based quantum computing service to a wide range of users globally.9

🛰️ Quantum Communication and Networking

China is a recognized world leader in quantum communication, a field closely linked to quantum computing:10

5. Micius (Mozi) Quantum Science Satellite:

   • Launched in 2016, this was the world's first quantum-enabled satellite.11

   • Purpose: It is crucial for establishing space-to-ground quantum communication, including quantum key distribution (QKD) and quantum teleportation over intercontinental distances.

6. Beijing-Shanghai Backbone Network (Quantum Communication Network):

   • A 1,200-mile long terrestrial fiber-optic network for quantum-secure communication (QKD).12

   • It is the world's longest QKD network and is operational, providing secure communication for government, military, and financial institutions.

7. Integrated Space-Ground Quantum Communication Network (The long-term plan):

   • This is China's overarching strategic project to combine the Micius satellite and ground-based fiber networks into a single, comprehensive global quantum-secure communication network.

🧪 Infrastructure, R&D, and Commercialization

8. National Laboratory for Quantum Information Sciences (NLQIS) in Hefei:

   • A massive, well-funded national research facility dedicated to all quantum information fields, serving as the central hub for China's quantum R&D and talent pool.

9. Quantum Chip and Component Fabrication (Supply Chain Indigenization):

   • Projects focusing on domestically manufacturing all parts of the quantum computing stack, including advanced superconducting chips, cryogenic systems, and control electronics like the Tianji 4.0 measurement and control system.13 This is a critical national strategic goal to reduce reliance on foreign technology.

10. Applied Quantum Algorithms and Software Development:

    • Initiatives from major tech companies (like Baidu's Paddle Quantum and formerly Alibaba Quantum Lab) and startups that focus on quantum-classical hybrid algorithms, quantum machine learning (QML), and developing industry-specific solutions in finance, materials science, and drug discovery using existing quantum hardware (e.g., Origin Quantum's work on breast cancer screening).