Quantum Computing (Zuchongzhi 3.0)

The Chinese Academy of Sciences built Zuchongzhi 3.0 with 105 superconducting qubits, achieving quantum computational advantage — solving problems that would take classical supercomputers impractically long. The processor's performance benchmarks rival Google's Willow QPU announced in late 2024.

Origin Quantum, a Hefei-based startup, released Origin Pilot as the world's first open-source quantum computer operating system in February 2026. The move mirrors China's strategy in classical computing: build the full stack domestically, then open-source it to build an ecosystem.

Quantum computing remains pre-commercial for most applications. The near-term race is about error correction — making qubits reliable enough for useful computation. China's advantage is sustained government funding and a large talent pool of quantum physicists. The risk is that quantum computing may follow fusion's path: always promising, always a decade away.