In early January 2024, reports emerged that scientists from Russia and China had successfully established quantum-encrypted communication over a distance of 3,800 kilometers, spanning from a ground station near Moscow to another near Urumqi in China’s western Xinjiang region. The test used secure keys transmitted by China’s Mozi (Micius) quantum satellite, according to The Quantum Insider, citing an initial report in the South China Morning Post.
Alexey Fedorov of Russia’s National University of Science and Technology (MISIS) and the Russian Quantum Centre (RQC) confirmed that the first “full cycle” quantum communication test between the two countries had been conducted. The teams successfully transmitted two encoded images secured by quantum keys. The Mozi satellite, launched in 2016, has been central to China’s quantum communication program and previously enabled an intercontinental quantum-encrypted video conference between Beijing and Vienna in 2017.
Fedorov stated that it was “technically absolutely possible” to build a quantum communication network among BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). Russia has proposed joint efforts with fellow BRICS nations to advance quantum and other future technologies, though such a network would require aligned telecommunications and data exchange protocols as well as additional infrastructure including specialized satellites and ground stations.