China aims to lead in quantum – even as many quantum technologies are not yet mature. Provinces and cities are already competing to build markets for a range of applications. Most of these experiments are unlikely to pan out commercially as the technology is still nascent, and costs remain too high. But for Beijing, even unsuccessful or financially unfeasible applications show where quantum tech can prove most useful – an early bet that may pay off as a competitive advantage in the medium to long term.

Guangdong province recently introduced 100 application scenarios in eight areas, including medical diagnosis, marine exploration, and fintech, which could lay the foundation for the mass implementation of quantum technologies in China. Hospitals and the national lab in Guangzhou are already piloting quantum-enabled screening for cardiovascular disease and molecular simulation for drug discovery. The stakes for medicine are high, as Chinese researchers argue that quantum computing could cut drug development timelines from ten to three years, given quantum’s edge in precise molecular simulation. 

Other localities have been early supporters of commercialization. Shanghai’s new quantum computing hub offers up to CNY 20 million (EUR 2.57 million) to companies bringing the first products to market in an area where China lags behind the US. Sichuan, Hubei and Beijing have each pooled capital in the past few months (ranging from CNY 100 million to CNY 1 billion, mostly from state investors) to accelerate quantum technologies from lab to market. 

Most applications remain experimental. Recently, in Anhui province, quantum sensors were used to keep the power grid reliable as it monitored tiny changes in temperature inside a switchgear. The results outperformed traditional sensors, but not by much, leaving open whether a broader rollout would be worth the cost. This shows that years of R&D have delivered precision gains, but moving quantum sensors from laboratories into operation brings challenges around engineering and standards. As some applications mature, China aims to unite progress nationwide to scale the industry’s development. 

MERICS Analyst Altynay Junusova: “This is the standard Chinese industrial policy playbook, where provinces roll out competing policies to pursue tech self-reliance, each hoping to cultivate their own national champions. But, frustratingly for local officials, there is only so much they can do to speed up quantum tech buildout: In the end, they can only wait for startups to make progress across quantum applications.”