Xi, Obama pledge to cooperate on cyber security issues

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Obama have vowed to work together to try to resolve disputes over cyber security at the summit in California.

At a press conference after the first meeting, Xi noted that China is a victim of hacker attacks and a firm upholder of cyber security, adding that Beijing and Washington have common concerns over it.

"The two sides should dispel suspicions and work with each other, making cyber security a new bright spot in bilateral cooperation," Xi said.

The summit came as tensions ran high over accusations from Washington that Chinese hackers have accessed US business and military secrets, a claim China firmly denied.

Obama raised the issue with Xi during Friday's meeting, but stopped short of pointing the finger directly at China or threatening any consequences at the press conference.

The US president urged "common rules of the road" to protect against hacking.

"President Xi and I recognize that, because of the incredible advances of technology, the issue of cyber security and the need for rules, and common approaches to security, have become increasingly important," Obama said.

"It's critical, as two of the largest economies and military powers of the world, that China and the United States arrive at a firm understanding," Obama said.

Qin An, head of the China Institute of Cyberspace Strategy, told the Global Times on Saturday that the two leaders have found strategic common ground on the issue, given the fact that cyber attacks pose a threat even larger than that of terrorist attacks in the Internet age and no country could solve the problem on its own.

"It's not a matter of just accusing each other, but trying to figure out how we solve a common problem. This is a new issue in technology, and if they could create some working groups and begin to think about some new rules, those are the priority issues," Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, told the Global Times Saturday at an event in Beijing.

The two powers have already agreed to set up a working group under the China-US Strategic Security Dialogue.