Can Hong Kong, target of the most US sanctions, become China’s quantum gateway?

Hong Kong, which holds the distinction of being the most US-sanctioned territory in China with over 300 entities blacklisted, is defiantly pursuing a new strategic role. Despite Washington's efforts to curb Beijing's tech rise, the Hong Kong government is pushing forward with plans to become an international technology hub. Central to this ambition is the cross-border Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, a project specifically designed to turn the city into China's primary gateway for quantum computing technology to the world.

Guo Guoping, chief scientist and co-founder of the quantum firm Origin Quantum, outlined the vision in a statement to the South China Morning Post. He emphasized that the core of China's quantum drive is to build a 'complete, self-controllable, scalable, and industrialisable quantum computing system.' This national strategy explicitly involves deepening technological partnerships between mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) through hubs like Hetao. The initiative represents a direct effort to circumvent Western technological containment, leveraging Hong Kong's unique international status while integrating it more tightly with mainland China's industrial and research capabilities.