Insider Brief
- China has named quantum technology as a priority frontier field in a new 2026-2030 plan aimed at strengthening the country’s cybersecurity and information technology industries.
- The plan also targets advances in high-end chips, software, AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, brain-computer interfaces and other strategic technologies.
- The document does not specify quantum-related funding, technical milestones or which areas of quantum computing, communications or sensing will receive priority.
- Image: Photo by Insaanu Studio on Unsplash
China has identified quantum technology as one of a group of frontier fields targeted for development under a new five-year plan aimed at strengthening the country’s cybersecurity and information technology companies.
According to The China Daily, the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission released the action plan Friday, laying out priorities for China’s cyberspace industry from 2026 through 2030. The document calls on companies to pursue advances in quantum technology, high-end chips, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and other areas that Beijing considers important to technological competitiveness.
China Daily is a state-owned English-language newspaper affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party’s Publicity Department.
Under the plan, companies are directed to strengthen basic research and pursue what the commission described as key and core technologies, including high-end chips, basic and industrial software, network communications, cybersecurity and data security.
“Network information technology is highlighted as a critical area of innovation, attracting substantial global research and development investment,” the commission said, China Daily reported. “This sector consistently achieves breakthroughs, finds widespread applications and exerts a powerful influence across various industries.”
The document separately calls for efforts to make progress in frontier technologies including quantum technology, blockchain, brain-computer interfaces, digital twins and next-generation displays.
The inclusion of quantum technology places the field within a broader Chinese effort to strengthen domestic capabilities in technologies that could affect computing, communications and national security. The plan, however, does not establish quantum-specific spending levels, technical milestones or commercialization targets.
Although this is based on some interpretation, the use of the term quantum technology means the efforts go beyond addressing quantum computing, but likely include quantum communications and quantum networking.
China has invested heavily in quantum science over the past decade, with government-backed universities, national laboratories and companies working across quantum computing, quantum communications and sensing. The new plan suggests Beijing expects private and state-linked technology companies to play a greater role in moving advanced technologies from research toward commercial use.
The Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission said companies driven by network information technology and focused on cybersecurity and informatization are important to China’s goal of becoming a stronger cyber power and increasing its international competitiveness.
By 2030, the commission wants Chinese cyberspace companies to show significantly stronger technological innovation, products and services while operating within a more developed industrial ecosystem.
The plan reportedly contains seven broad actions and 21 measures covering company development, innovation, industrial digitization, overseas expansion, security, the business environment and access to resources.
It calls for China to cultivate several categories of technology companies, including large businesses capable of shaping industrial ecosystems, companies that lead specialized technology sectors and fast-growing innovative companies. Authorities also plan to establish and maintain a database of companies considered particularly promising.
That approach could provide another channel for supporting emerging quantum companies alongside China’s existing national and provincial programs for strategic technologies.
The document also emphasizes commercialization, a directive that experts on China’s quantum industry have noted the government is increasingly focusing on. In this case, Chinese authorities said companies should strengthen their role in technological innovation and accelerate the transformation of research results into products and applications.
Artificial intelligence receives particularly detailed attention in the plan, based on China Daily’s reporting. The plan calls for resources to support companies conducting AI research, including work on high-end AI chips, improvements to large models and the development of AI agents. Companies are also encouraged to participate in open-source projects and developer communities.
The combination of quantum, AI, advanced chips and cybersecurity within the same policy framework reflects the increasingly interconnected way Beijing is treating emerging technologies. Progress in advanced chips, for example, could support both conventional high-performance computing and some parts of the quantum technology supply chain, while quantum communications and cryptography could become increasingly relevant to cybersecurity.
Security and government oversight run alongside the plan’s support for technology development.
Companies are directed to improve systems for identifying risks, issuing warnings, monitoring threats and responding to emergencies. The plan also calls for stronger personal information protections and management of algorithms and says companies should prevent the misuse of AI technologies that could harm internet users or workers.
Authorities also want companies to improve the quality of online content and said monopolistic or anti-competitive behavior in important sectors should be addressed.
The commission said the plan was part of China’s broader strategy for building technological self-reliance and strengthening its digital economy during the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan period.
The commission also added that China’s cyberspace companies have already expanded beyond traditional internet businesses such as e-commerce, gaming and search into fields including AI chips, large language models, robotics and advanced computing.
