Dive Brief:
- The U.S. and China may be close to an agreement on cyber espionage, CIO reports.
- The agreement could potentially be signed this week when President Xi and President Obama meet in Washington.
- Both countries have informally agreed to the deal, but have disagreed on whether China's government plays a part in cyber hacking.
Dive Insight:
President Xi said China is willing to strengthen cooperation with the U.S. government on cyber hacking.
"Cybertheft of commercial secrets and hacking attacks against government networks are both illegal; such acts are criminal offenses and should be punished according to law and relevant international conventions,” said Xi in a statement.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted Chinese hackers for cyber espionage against U.S. companies in the nuclear power, metals and solar products industries. The U.S. government also suspects China was behind the massive breach of the federal Office of Personnel Management earlier this year.
U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice said "cyber-enabled economic espionage … puts enormous strain on our bilateral relationship and it is a critical factor in determining the future trajectory of U.S.-China ties."
