China fights back at hackers with unbreakable quantum communications network

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By CGTN's The Point

Last year China launched the world’s first quantum communications satellite and now the country is reportedly working on an unhackable communications network using the same technology, set to be launched in August.

But what exactly is the significance of developments in this field and is China becoming a world leader in quantum tech?

Seth Lloyd, a professor of Mechanical Engineering and Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology told "The Point with Liu Xin" (@thepointwithlx) that China's quantum communications satellite is a major step in allowing large-scale, long distance quantum communications between quantum computers.

Lloyd also said that in addition to being very fast, communications sent using quantum tech are also highly secure.

“We can have probably secure voting where anybody’s vote is counted and everybody can tell their vote has counted. You can have different ways to have financial transactions where business people can be assured that the contract they agree to has been followed,” he said.

Zhang Fan, Associate Professor at Beijing Normal University / CGTN Photo

Zhang Fan, an associate astronomy professor at Beijing Normal University, said that security is very important.

“In the future we will have automated everything,” he said, “When you are sitting in a self-drive car, you really don’t want people to hack into your car and drive you off a cliff. That sort of thing is basically enabled in our future.”

Anton Zeilinger, Quantum physicist / CGTN Photo

Meanwhile, quantum physicist Anton Zeilinger thinks that quantum computers will one day replace the generation of standard computers we know today.

The Point with Liu Xin is a 30-minute current affairs program on CGTN. It airs weekdays at 9.30 p.m. BJT (1330GMT), with rebroadcasts at 5.30 a.m. (2130GMT) and 10.30 a.m. (0230GMT).