China has an undisputed lead in quantum network technology – a state of affairs that should give the US pause, despite its lead in quantum computing.
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So says think thanks to the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), which on Monday published a report titled "How Innovative Is China in Quantum?"
Its answer is "a lot"—at least when it comes to quantum communications, a field President Xi Jinping prioritized after the Snowden leaks in 2013 so Beijing can keep more of its secrets.
"Since then, China has moved rapidly and consolidated its leadership in the global race for secure communications, particularly in QKD [quantum key distribution], which is perhaps the most advanced subfield of secure communications, leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics to create a virtually unbreakable method to encrypt data," the report says.
