China establishes committee to develop standards for quantum technology

China has formally established a technical committee responsible for developing industry standards for its emerging quantum technology sector.

The committee was established under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and held its first meeting in Beijing on 30 July. It has 62 members and will work on the development and revision of standards covering several areas of quantum technology.

These areas include foundational quantum information technologies, quantum computing, quantum communication and quantum precision measurement.

Standards are technical rules or specifications that help ensure that technologies, products and systems work consistently and can be developed and used in compatible ways. In an emerging sector such as quantum technology, standards can also provide common technical requirements for companies and researchers as the industry develops.

The committee, officially designated MIIT/TC10, is expected to support the development of China’s quantum technology industry and strengthen the role of technical standards in the sector. Chinese authorities also identified international cooperation as one of the committee’s objectives.

The move forms part of China’s broader plans to develop emerging technologies. Quantum technology has been identified as one of the future industries China intends to promote in 2026, alongside areas including embodied artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, future energy and 6G.

The establishment of the committee gives China a formal institutional structure for developing standards as quantum technologies move from research and development towards wider industrial use. The standards developed through the process could influence how quantum technologies are designed, tested and deployed within the Chinese market.