On October 16, 2020, the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee held its 24th collective study session, dedicated entirely to the research prospects and applications of quantum technology. General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over the session and delivered remarks, as reported by Xinhua on October 17.
Xi stated that quantum science and technology had developed rapidly in recent years and had become a frontier field in a new round of scientific and industrial revolutions. He called for strengthening top-level design and forward-looking planning in the field, improving policy support systems, accelerating breakthroughs in basic research, and cultivating strategic emerging industries such as quantum communications.
Xue Qikun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and vice president of Tsinghua University, delivered the lecture and put forward policy recommendations. Xi also called for speeding up quantum talent training and enhancing international cooperation. The session served as a high-level political signal that quantum technology would receive elevated priority in the forthcoming 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).