China Is Closing the Quantum Gap: Catherine Thorbecke

The world has been paying close attention to the global contest for supremacy in artificial intelligence. But the separate race for quantum technology could have an even more profound impact on the geopolitical balance of power. While the US currently leads, China is narrowing the gap — fast.

Quantum technology harnesses the mind-boggling mechanics of quantum physics — the science of how particles behave at the atomic level — to build new kinds of computers, sensors and communication systems exponentially more powerful than today’s. As mathematician Hannah Fry explains, think of solving a maze: a traditional computer tries one path at a time; a ...