Chinese scientists say this is the second time quantum-related research institutes and companies have been added to the trade blacklist, but the scope is broader.
“Almost all of China’s core strengths in quantum information research have been listed,” said Ying Jianchi, a physicist at Beijing Institute of Technology, calling the impact “huge.”
Among the new entrants were “22 additional institutions and companies acquiring or seeking to acquire U.S.-origin items to strengthen.” [China’s] Quantum capabilities,” the U.S. Department of Industry and Security said in a statement about the update.
“These activities have substantial military applications and pose a significant threat to the national security of the United States.”
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A scientist named Liu, who works at one of the targeted research institutions, called the operation “unprecedented” and said it was “pretty much everything.” [Chinese] Laboratories related to quantum research are listed. ”
The scientist, who declined to give his full name due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the laser he ordered last year was about to be shipped from the U.S., but was just informed that it might be held up at customs. .
One of the companies on the list, Origin Quantum Computing Technology, was founded in 2017 by two leading quantum physicists at USTC and is the backbone of China’s quantum computing research and its industrial applications.
USTC (University of Science and Technology of China) is a pioneering institution in domestic quantum research. Mr. Pan Jianwei, known as the country’s “father of quantum”, is a professor at the university.
The university is also an innovation hub that has spawned many start-up companies thanks to steady scientific progress, a competitive talent pool, and generous support from local governments.
Four research centers under the apex Chinese Academy of Sciences, including the Center of Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, Institute of Physics, Quantum Information Critical Research Institute, and Shanghai Institute of Microsystem Information Technology, are also included in the latest sanctions list. .
Others include research institutions across China, such as the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Science, the Shanghai Quantum Science Research Center, and the Shenzhen Institute of Quantum Science and Technology.
Beijing Institute of Technology’s Yin said USTC’s quantum research has benefited from sending students and researchers to the West for training. However, many USTC graduates may continue to go to the United States for higher education, but the latest measures will no doubt serve as a hindrance.
Yin also noted that because the sanctions list is issued by the Department of Commerce and is not directly affiliated with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, it will have a direct impact on visa applications for USTC students in the short term. He said it was unlikely that he would.
But the blacklisting, referring to the acronym Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education, signals that the US will become increasingly strict in approving visas for Chinese students in STEM-related fields. he added.
In a live talk on social media platform WeChat yesterday, USTC scientists said the continued tightening of US containment measures could have a “widespread impact” on China’s quantum research.
One possible outcome, he said, could be that it would be more difficult for Chinese researchers to publish papers in top journals such as Nature and Science, and that their research results would ensure compliance with U.S. sanctions. He said that there is a high possibility that it will be scrutinized more closely.
But despite the challenges, Liu expressed optimism. Compared to other high-tech fields such as semiconductors and AI, the quantum gap between Chinese companies and Western companies was not that large, he said.
China is accelerating efforts to make high-end quantum equipment self-reliant, Liu said. Regarding obstacles to studying abroad, he said this may actually be a good thing for China.
“If more capable students could stay home, China could accelerate scientific progress.”
