China opens 2,000-km quantum communication line

Guests attend the opening ceremony of the Jing-Hu, or Beijing-Shanghai, Trunk Line, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 29, 2017. A 2,000-km quantum communication line was opened between Beijing and Shanghai on Friday. The line is the world's first trunk line for secure quantum telecommunications. Known as the Jing-Hu, or Beijing-Shanghai, Trunk Line, it connects Beijing, Jinan, Hefei and Shanghai. The line is connected to the world's first quantum satellite, which was launched by China in August last year, through a station in Beijing. The satellite is nicknamed "Micius," after a fifth century B.C. Chinese philosopher and scientist who has been credited as the first person to conduct optical experiments. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)