China surpasses US in quantum patent applications amid ‘neck-to-neck’ race (2024)

The United States and China have pursued different strategies to develop quantum technology – China has focused on using quantum science to secure communications, while the US has sought to develop advanced computing capabilities.

But the latest patent data released by China’s intellectual property office suggests Beijing may be shifting its approach in a field the US has long held a lead in.

Quantum computing, in which quantum science is harnessed to solve complex problems significantly faster than classical computers, accounted for 56.5 per cent of China’s total domestic patent grants from 2013 to 2022.

Quantum communications, which use quantum physics to secure data, accounted for 30.3 per cent of domestic patents during the same period, according to a paper in the March edition of the journal China Invention & Patent published by the China National Intellectual Property Administration.

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, the paper said, in reference to the country’s domestic quantum landscape.

In the same period, the country has achieved “quantum superiority”, according to another paper on global quantum patents in the same edition of the journal.

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