China establishes technical committee on quantum information standardization

A technical committee on quantum information standardization under China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology was established on Thursday at a meeting in Beijing.

The committee is primarily responsible for developing and revising industry standards in areas including basic and common quantum information technologies, quantum computing, quantum communication and quantum precision measurement. Its secretariat is based at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

The establishment of the committee marks an important step toward leveraging the foundational, strategic, and guiding role of standards, promoting the high-quality development of the quantum industry and strengthening international cooperation in the field.

China has identified quantum technology as one of the future industries it aims to foster in 2026, alongside future energy, embodied artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces and 6G.

The ministry has said it will promote breakthroughs in quantum technology, foster leading science and technology enterprises, and participate actively in the formulation of international standards and rules.

China has reported a series of advances in the sector this year. Its self-developed quantum computer operating system Origin Pilot became available for public download in February, a move expected to lower development barriers and accelerate the development of China's quantum computing ecosystem.

In May, Chinese scientists developed "Jiuzhang 4.0," a programmable quantum computing prototype that set a world record in optical quantum information technology.