Multiple nations enact mysterious export controls on quantum computers

This isn't that strange or mysterious.

The main reason that nations and multinational corporations have been investing in post-quantum cryptography is the looming threat of Store Now Decrypt Later attacks.

Given that, it makes logical sense they would also want to control exports of the tech that would undo their other investments. But they don't want to stymy industry or academia, so they set a threshold that prevents the unlimited distribution of practical tech that may be cryptography-relevant.

This is even less surprising when you consider the biggest investor into quantum computers is China, and probably not for philanthropic reasons.

One curiosity I have: Do they mean 34 stable cubits, or would 34 unstable cubits count?

> A spokesperson for the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control confirmed that quantum computer export controls would be the result of negotiations under the Wassenaar Arrangement

So confirmed to be not mysterious and instead enacted through a defined a known process? The only mysterious part is countries not sharing the analysis for the specific qubits but that doesn’t sound too unreasonable.

It's high time that we religiously switch to exclusively quantum-safe public-key cryptography. Listening to NIST, however, is a recipe for being deceived into getting exploited by the NSA.