The People’s Liberation Army is testing what could be the world’s first portable quantum radio device in its border patrol troops, according to the official Science and Technology Daily.

The PLA’s Information Support Force said its miniaturised prototype of quantum communication, weighing 3kg (6.6lbs), had successfully received radio signals from tens of kilometres away. The team was able to read lines of decoded information, the newspaper reported last Thursday.

“This successful experiment will provide a new means of communication for any new combat force,” Zhan Zihao, an engineer with the force, told the outlet. “In the future, it can meet emergency communication needs in obstructed conditions such as valleys and dense forests.”

“While the battlefield is unpredictable, it can be envisioned,” Zhan added. “Only by approaching scientific research with the same intensity as warfare, ensuring effective equipment reaches the battlefield, can we better carry out our missions.”

Soldiers with the Information Support Force, created in 2024, set up a network information system. Photo: PLA Daily

Border defence troops often operate in remote, mountainous canyons, where communication methods can suffer from poor connectivity and transmission failures.