Dowling Discusses US-China Quantum Tech Race in the ‘Trans-Pacific View Insight Series’

(TheDiplomat) This must-read conversation with Dr. Jonathan Dowling – Professor and Hearne Chair of Theoretical Physics at Louisiana State University; visiting faculty member at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Shanghai; and recipient of NASA Space Act Award for Invention of Quantum Lithography – is the 214th in “The Trans-Pacific View Insight Series.”
Dowling Warns China Ahead in Quantum Cryptography and Tied in Quantum Computing
Dowling explained that China’s particular strength is in the area of quantum cryptography. Most famously, China has the space satellite Mozi, whose primary mission is to establish quantum cryptography across China.
Dowling reflected that his position had that China was ahead in quantum cryptography and that the U.S. was ahead in quantum computing but this has changed. The U.S. company Google announced that they hit Quantum Supremacy on their superconducting quantum computer but in a matter of days, University of Science and Technology in China announced that it had hit quantum supremacy with its all-optical quantum computer.
Dowling says “At this point, China is now ahead of the U.S. with quantum cryptography and tied in quantum computing. I expect in five to ten years that China will be ahead of the U.S. in both categories.”
There are two national security implications that most worry the United States. In a few years, China will go dark behind a wall of quantum cryptography, and the U.S. will not be able to decode any of the information that is transmitted. The second is that the Chinese might develop the universal quantum computer first and be able to decipher all of the data being carried over the internet in the U.S.