TFTC: Whoever Controls the Quantum Future Controls the Strategic High Ground

China Aerospace Studies Institute

China is accelerating its strategic development of quantum technology, targeting high-level scientific and technological self-reliance by 2035 to counter Western technological hegemony and unilateral sanctions. This state-led push focuses on establishing independent quantum communications, quantum computing, and quantum sensing capabilities to secure its digital sovereignty and reshape global industrial supply chains.

To bypass foreign export restrictions on advanced equipment, Beijing is leveraging its "new nationwide system" under the Communist Party of China's direct leadership to mobilize resources across universities, research institutions, and strategic industries. This institutional integration aims to build terrestrial and space-based quantum communication networks while driving breakthroughs in quantum hardware, software, and algorithms. Ultimately, these advancements are designed to foster "new quality productive forces," establish a comprehensive national capability, and ensure the nation controls the strategic high ground of future global competition by avoiding external institutional lock-in mechanisms that constrain long-term national development and security.

Comment

Beijing's integration of quantum research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences bypasses Western market-driven models. This centralised approach, demonstrated by the 2016 launch of the Micius quantum satellite, accelerates operational deployment. By linking state laboratories directly with defence enterprises like China Electronics Technology Group, the nationwide system compresses development timelines. Consequently, this ecosystem insulates China's defence industrial base from US-led export controls on advanced lithography and cryogenic systems.

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