Tencent CEO Pony Ma says China risks falling behind without strong base in scientific research

The boss of tech giant Tencent has warned China risks losing out to other countries if it does not invest in key research fields of microchips, operating systems, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

Pony Ma Huateng, chairman and chief executive of Tencent Holdings, spoke out at the Big Data Expo in Guiyang where he emphasised the importance of basic scientific research in these core technologies.

“We are not weak in AI, but when it comes to quantum computing, will we be able to grab the opportunity?” Ma said on Monday in the capital of southwestern Guizhou province where Tencent stores much of its data on servers located in underground mountain sites.

“Foreign countries will achieve leading positions if they make breakthroughs in quantum computing … Then it will be big challenge for China [to catch up],” he said, adding that Tencent will devote practical efforts to the challenge, “not just theories”.

Ma’s call for more research comes after Tencent was criticised earlier this month for driving growth through investments rather than original innovation.

US tech giants such as IBM, Microsoft and Intel are racing to develop quantum computers, which will make current computers obsolete, while the Chinese government is investing US$10 billion in a new national laboratory for quantum research, which is due to open in 2020.