China-US cyber security ministerial dialogue yields positive outcomes

Guo Shengkun, the Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security, is seen during a meeting on cyber security with US Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. on December 1, 2015. [Photo/IC]

Guo said the China-US law enforcement cooperation on cyber security has now entered a new phase of progress as the two sides have solved some specific problems through practical cooperation and candid communication, which helped boost mutual understanding and trust.

Guo pledged China would work with the US to push forward the construction of the cyber law enforcement cooperation mechanism based on "the principles of law-abiding, reciprocity, honest and pragmatism."

He proposed that the two sides insist on using the dialogue mechanism as the main channel for conducting communication and information sharing in tackling cyber security issues, give prompt and effective response to the requests from the other side, and constructively manage their differences.

The US side said that China and the US, the two largest economies in the world, share common interests in protecting cyber security, and the US is willing to take concrete actions to implement the consensus reached by the Xi-Obama summits.

US officials also called for increasing information sharing and joint efforts to fight cyber crimes, including cyber terrorism and theft of commercial secrets. They hoped that the dialogue mechanism will play a positive role in making sure that the joint cooperation on fighting cyber crimes will achieve further positive results.

The two sides agreed to convene the next cyber security ministerial dialogue in Beijing in June next year.

Cyber security has emerged as one of the major disputes that strain the China-US ties in recent years, as the US repeatedly accuses the Chinese government of sponsoring cyber theft of commercial secrets of US companies.

China has rejected the US accusations, citing that its policies forbid any form of cyber crimes. Notwithstanding, China has agreed to cooperate with the US on fighting cyber crimes and formulating the rules of road in protecting the security of the cyber space.