Peking University Opening Ceremony 2020
World’s first quantum secure direct communication system
A Chinese research team has implemented the world’s first quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) system. The breakthrough provides a promising solution to counter threats in the area of communication security.
Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences revealed at the 2020 ZGC Forum on Saturday that they have implemented the world’s first QSDC system.
The present system can operate with a communication rate of 4kb/s at a distance of 10 kilometers, bringing QSDC further toward practical applications.
China issues rules for unreliable entity list
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Saturday issued rules for a widely anticipated unreliable entity list mechanism that could severely punish foreign entities and individuals who undermine China’s national interests, in a move that is believed to counter the US’ relentless crackdown campaign against Chinese businesses.
The list would include foreign entities or individuals who undermine China’s sovereignty, security and development interests and those who violate market principles by cutting off normal transactions with Chinese firms, organizations or individuals, according to the rules issued by MOFCOM.
The Ministry did not release specific foreign entities or individuals that will be put on the list.
Foreign entities added to the Unreliable Entity List could be restricted or prohibited from engaging in China-related import or export activities and investing in China, according to the provisions.
Relevant personnel of the entity may also be restricted or banned from entering China and their work permit and residence status could also be restricted or revoked. Foreign entities could also face a fine and other “necessary measures.”
Both sides can play the game.
China’s loudspeaker stunt to distract, divert Indian troops
Has China Won? Will There Be War? (Kishore Mahbubani)
Cloud computer named “Wuying”
Alibaba launched a cloud computer named “Wuying 无影” at its 2020 Computing Conference. The computer has no localhost or CPU, and all of its hardware is stored at the cloud end’s data center, reducing computing power by more than 50% if the cloud computer is widely used.
Zhou Shen
Documentaries on Wuhan battling Covid-19
China launches second carrier rocket at sea
Compared to the first launch, developers have further optimized and streamlined its sea launch capabilities by deploying a new launch vessel and putting a new coastal spaceport into operation, laying a solid foundation for more frequent and regular sea missions in the future.
The launch mission from sea successfully sent a group of nine commercial remote sensing satellites, all belonging to the Jilin-1 03 family, into the 535-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).
Oracle has won a deal
Oracle has reportedly won a deal to manage TikTok’s US cloud operations. Oracle had been rumored to be part of the bidding process to acquire TikTok, but The Wall Street Journal reports that the company has been selected as a “trusted tech partner” instead. This is different from an outright sale, and appears to suggest Oracle will be helping run TikTok’s US operations with its own cloud technologies.
If Trump agrees to this, Tik Tok is poised to explode much bigger and it will open the door to more Chinese companies operating in the West. My guess is “not likely”.
- Hawley calls for US to reject Oracle’s TikTok deal. The deal is currently awaiting a recommendation from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), but it has received praise from Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who chairs the committee. In an open letter to Mnuchin, Hawley calls on the secretary to take a more skeptical look at the proposal.
- Rubio has sent a letter to the Trump Administration urging it to reject the proposed Oracle-TikTok deal, which would leave TikTok as an independent, US-based company, because ByteDance, TikTok’s parent, will retain a majority stake.
- Ted Cruz has joined Marco Rubio, Josh Hawley and others in opposing the deal, penning his own letter claiming that any deal that doesn’t 100% address national security concerns should be rejected.