Chinese Spies Vigorously Chase U.S. Quantum Computing Technology

This month, The Economist published a timely article titled “China is Catching up with America in Quantum Technology.”

The article ties directly to the theme of my recently published Chinese spy novel, Bird in the Cage: The Quantum Spy’s Gambit.

Highlights from The Economist Article

Here are a few standout quotes from The Economist:

• “Few industries outside of arms-making are so sensitive…”
• “Quantum computers could one day perform calculations in minutes that would take the world’s cleverest supercomputers billions of years or longer…”
• “Although the commercial opportunities remain uncertain, [Chinese] spies and soldiers have taken a keen interest in quantum technology…”

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U.S. Private Industry vs. Chinese State Involvement

The Economist highlights a stark contrast between the U.S. and China:

• “China and America’s quantum rivalry pits two starkly different models of innovation against one another…”
• “In America, large tech companies—including Google, IBM, Intel, and Microsoft—are the driving force behind innovation in quantum computing, alongside startups backed by venture capital…”
• “University research plays an important role, but [U.S.] government involvement is limited.”

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Quantum Technology and Data Security

Adding to this discussion, this month’s Foreign Affairs issue features an article titled “The Race to Lead the Quantum Future: How the Next Computing Revolution Will Transform the Global Economy and Upend National Security.”

The article emphasizes how bad actors are already stealing encrypted data in anticipation of quantum breakthroughs, employing a tactic known as “store now, decrypt later” (SNDL).

Key Quote from Foreign Affairs:

“Today, national security experts assume that hostile state and private actors are already collecting encrypted information in anticipation of the new technology, an approach known as a ‘store now, decrypt later’ attack.”

I previously wrote about this alarming issue in my April 2023 blog post, “So, What Is ‘Store Now, Decrypt Later (SNDL)’ and Why Should You Care?”

SNDL is also raised in my novel.

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About Bird in the Cage: The Quantum Spy’s Gambit

Here’s a brief description of the novel:

A police lieutenant assigned to a federal intellectual property (IP) theft strike force attempts to thwart a Chinese spy’s attempt to extort a Chinese Ph.D. exchange student to steal quantum research from his host American university.

If the student does not comply, there will be severe consequences for his family in China.

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The Title Derives from a Uyghur Folktale

“If the caged bird is alive and singing, the strong person outside the cage is alive and singing too… But if the caged bird dies, the person outside the cage dies as well.”

• The Ph.D. student’s family is the bird in the cage.
• This reflects how Chinese security services often pressure ethnic Chinese outside of China—those outside the cage—to do their bidding, such as stealing intellectual property.

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Why This Matters

If you seek an informative and sometimes exhilarating overview of the critical importance of quantum technology to national security, please consider picking up my book.

It is available in print, eBook, and audio formats.

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