China’s Quantum Leap Forward
The quantum leap forward: On birthing the world’s fastest, most advanced internet network, China claims supremacy over the US
“O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee?” Hosea 6:4
Excerpts from RT by Brian McGleenon 14 Jan, 2021
Beijing’s new quantum computer can solve mathematical problems in 200 seconds that it would take current supercomputers millions of years to solve – and the network around it will revolutionise how we live and work.
China achieved “quantum supremacy” with the development of its Jiuzhang quantum computer, which last month surpassed Google’s Sycamore quantum device with its ability to calculate 100 trillion times faster than the fastest classical supercomputer.
The development sent shock waves around the world. But before this news could be fully digested by rival players in the quantum race, Beijing announced it had also built the world’s first fully integrated quantum network. Earlier this month, a network of satellite relays and fiber optic cables between Shanghai and Beijing was able to “teleport” huge amounts of data.
According to Professor Lo Hoi-kwong, of the University of Hong Kong, China is now playing the leading role in the application of quantum communications. He predicted that the technology would have advanced applications for the Chinese military, its finance sector, and for the country’s overall communications.
“Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone . . .” Hosea 4:17
One of the key architects of Jiuzhang, Professor Chao-Yang Lu, of the University of Science and Technology of China, told RT.com that the computer gained “quantum advantage” over the most advanced classic supercomputer through the use of photons of light to solve calculations, instead of the classical use of electrical binary signals in microprocessors.
The US has responded testily to China’s ambitions in quantum computing, particularly fearing its military applications. In 2018, President Donald Trump placed his signature to the National Quantum Initiative Act, which pledged $1.2 billion for research in the field over five years. In the same year, the US military implicitly referred to China’s quantum advancements as a national security threat in a statement titled ‘Technologies for Threat Military Applications’. It read: “A global race has ensued to exploit and operationalize quantum technologies for the use of military effects. The race to conquer the quantum domain is among the most fiercely competitive in today’s world of technology.”
Since 2016, China’s president Xi Jinping has been aggressively pushing the advancement of the nation’s research into quantum technology. The move is a key part of his blueprint to make China technologically self-reliant and a global leader in scientific research and development. He has set the nation a goal of achieving dominance in the area of quantum computing by 2030.
“And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim” Jeremiah 7:15
The Mystery of Ephraim 