Chinese official: Beijing willing to work with US on cybersecurity

A senior Chinese official said Thursday that Beijing opposes cyberattacks and wants to work with the U.S. to boost Internet security, but it will protect its own interests, Reuters reports.

The comments come one day after President Obama indicated that he was ready to retaliate against China for ongoing intrusions on U.S. networks.

Tensions over cybersecurity are at a zenith with President Xi Jinping’s official state visit scheduled for next week.

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang said at a briefing that the two countries “can cooperate and … should cooperate” to address “common challenges” in cyberspace, including setting international standards, according to Reuters.

“At the same time, the Chinese government firmly safeguards its own interests in cyberspace and is resolutely opposed to any statements or actions that harm China’s interests,” Zheng added.

On Wednesday, President Obama used some of his strongest language to date with regards to China’s behavior in cyberspace, calling alleged Chinese pilfering of U.S. trade secrets “an act of aggression that has to stop.”

“We are preparing a number of measures that will indicate to the Chinese that this is not just a matter of us being mildly upset,” he said during a speech to the Business Roundtable in Washington. “We are prepared to take some countervailing actions to get their attention.”

A series of White House leaks over the past few weeks revealed that the administration has been weighing economic sanctions against Chinese companies suspected of benefiting from hacked intellectual property and trade secrets.

Experts have warned that such sanctions may escalate the cyber conflict between the two nations and make it even harder for American firms to do business in the lucrative Chinese market.

Lawmakers have pushed for swift action. Earlier this month, Reps. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) and Randy Forbes (R-Va.) called on the administration to move forward with the penalties “to let the world know that state sponsored hacking will have tangible repercussions.”

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Wednesday pushed for legislation specifying the sanctions, “so the Chinese government realizes that we are serious about this.”

A White House official told The Washington Post earlier this week that the U.S. will not impose sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals before President Xi’s visit next week but that the use of sanctions is still on the table.

The decision came after Chinese and American officials closed four days of cybersecurity discussions with “substantial agreement” on key issues, the official said.

It’s largely expected that any penalties the administration might implement will target large Chinese companies, rather that Beijing, something experts say gives the Chinese government an opportunity to mend its ways while publicly deflecting guilt.

But state-backed cyber espionage is still expected to be one of the major topics discussed during Xi’s visit.

“We have been blunt in our assessment that it has significant consequences for national security and our economy,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Monday. “I would anticipate that discussion will continue when the president has the opportunity to meet with his counterpart.”

President Xi is scheduled to arrive Sept. 25.