China Tests Post-Quantum Security on Its Origin Wukong Supercomputer

Post-Quantum Security Testing in China

According to НВ — Техно: On June 16 at 7:45 PM, China conducted a test of post-quantum security on the Origin Wukong supercomputer. The announcement came from the Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Computing Chips and the Anhui Quantum Computing Research Center, both based in Hefei. The Origin Wukong system, which relies on superconducting qubits, has been operational for over two years and has fielded 49 million user requests from 192 countries worldwide.

The machine successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) system. The significance of this achievement is underscored by an assessment from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which warned that quantum computers could break existing cryptographic systems within 5 to 10 years. In response, the U.S. National Security Agency has urged federal agencies to transition to post-quantum cryptography.

National Standards and Technologies

China is actively developing its own national standards for post-quantum cryptography, with plans to finalize them within three years. In 2024, Origin Rock-the country's first software-based post-quantum cryptographic module-was integrated into Origin Wukong. This framework has already been deployed across other enterprises and government institutions, aiming to advance scalable programmable computing. The Chinese government intends to develop this alongside artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, and 6G technologies.

Wang Xiaoyun, a professor at the Institute for Advanced Study at Tsinghua University, noted: 'I personally believe that the next three to five years could be a period of explosive growth for the migration of the post-quantum cryptography industry.'

China's post-quantum security test marks a significant milestone, reflecting the country's active push to develop technologies that can safeguard information in the quantum computing era. With experts predicting that traditional encryption systems could be compromised, interest in post-quantum cryptography is growing not only in China but globally. This could lead to new cybersecurity standards that impact businesses and government agencies on an international scale.