The Quantum Race Is On–With China Currently in the Lead on Quantum Encryption

(NewYorkTimes) The “Gray Lady” provides a comprehensive discussion of the international race between countries and technology companies who are competing to build the future’s quantum computing and quantum encryption industries. Numerous scientists around the world are currently working on commercializing quantum computers, while others are working on quantum security techniques that could thwart the code-breaking abilities of these machines of the future.
It is a race with national security implications since a quantum computer could break the encryption that protects digital information, putting at risk everything from e-commerce to national secrets. While building quantum computers is still anyone’s game, China has a clear lead in quantum encryption. The Chinese government has made different kinds of quantum research a priority. “China has a very deliberate strategy to own this technology,” said Duncan Earl, a former researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory who is president and chief technology officer of Qubitekk, a company that is exploring quantum encryption.
The discussion lastly delves into funding differentials. For example, China is funding networks that can transmit data using quantum encryption with the goal of having Chinese-built network for sharing quantum encryption keys across the globe by 2030. Authors Cade Metz and Raymond Zhong contrast China’s momentum with the observation that. .”the government and industry in the United States have viewed quantum encryption as little more than a science experiment”.
In the middle of this must-read article for those interested in understanding the policy and data security implications of quantum technologies, readers will find a brief, lay-oriented explanation of quantum computing and quantum encryption.