HEFEI -- An international team led by Chinese scientists have realized quantum-secured communication across over 12,900 kilometers between China and South Africa.

Using the Jinan 1 micro-nano satellite and compact ground stations, this new breakthrough in quantum technology demonstrates the potential for secure quantum communication on a global scale.

In an international first, the team led by the University of Science and Technology of China enabled real-time quantum key distribution (QKD) between the satellite and miniaturized ground stations — including one in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Leveraging this engineering achievement, Chinese scientists, in collaboration with their counterparts from Stellenbosch University, have successfully demonstrated the longest-distance hacker-proof communication across hemispheres to date.

The result was published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. The journal's peer reviewer lauded it as "a technically impressive achievement" that represents "considerable progress towards trusted-node constellations for wide-spread satellite QKD services" and shows "the maturity of the satellite QKD technology."