Domestically built and deployed quantum computer in China
We are talking about 105 data qubits and 182 coupling qubits, with the same chip as the “Zuchongzhi 3.0” machine that was previously announced and I reported on in my top 10 quantum computer list
This is a big deal in terms of domestic development of quantum related ecosystem hardware and backward linkages. China’s deployment of the “Tianyan-287” superconducting quantum computer in Hefei marks a shift from laboratory demonstration to integrated industrial platform, with a domestically built stack that spans dilution refrigerators, AI-driven chip calibration, and a cloud service that has already attracted tens of millions of requests from users in more than 60 countries [1]. We are talking about 105 data qubits and 182 coupling qubits, with the same chip as the “Zuchongzhi 3.0” machine that was previously announced and I reported on in my top 10 quantum computer leaderboard. Right now both of these machines could be listed as 10th on the leaderboard for universal gate-based physical qubits.ard.
Top 10 quantum computers by universal gate-based physical qubits:
Atom Computing - 1,180 qubits (October 24, 2023) United States
IBM Condor - 1,121 qubits (December 4, 2023) United States
CAS Xiaohong - 504 qubits (December 6, 2024) China
IBM Osprey - 433 qubits (November 9, 2022) United States
Fujitsu & RIKEN - 256 qubits (April 22, 2025) Japan
Xanadu Borealis - 216 qubits (June 1, 2022) Canada
IBM Heron R2 - 156 qubits (November 13, 2024) United States
IBM Eagle - 127 qubits (November 16, 2021) United States
Google Willow - 105 qubits (December 9, 2024) United States
USTC Zuchongzhi 3.0 - 105 qubits (March 3, 2025) China or noted as the commercially deployed Tianyan-287 - 105 qubits (November 22, 2025) China
The same ecosystem is now extending into photonic quantum hardware, where institutes like CHIPX and firms such as TuringQ and QBoson are standing up pilot lines and planned factories capable of producing industrial-grade optical quantum processors at scale. Around this core, China is filling in the supply chain with domestic manufacturers of cryogenic systems and quantum components, while simultaneously pushing real-world deployments that range from quantum-encrypted power substations and quantum-tested grid algorithms to quantum sensing for lithium-battery quality control and cardiac diagnostics. The pattern that emerges is not one of isolated flagship machines but of a deliberate policy and industrial effort to convert quantum R&D into production-ready infrastructure, with exportable systems, standards, and reference deployments that can be replicated across energy, mobility, and healthcare verticals.
Things to consider:
How quickly quantum cloud usage can translate into sustainable commercial demand rather than subsidized experimentation.
Whether China’s vertically integrated quantum supply chain becomes a de facto standard for emerging markets.
How industrial quantum sensing and security applications may mature faster than general-purpose quantum computing.
What this model implies for countries that lack tightly coupled research, fabrication, and state-aligned industrial policy.
Footnotes:
[1] Xinhua Silk Road, “China speeds up quantum tech transfer, building supply chains from lab research,” https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/348447.html