China and the United States have reached important consensus on the joint fight against cyber crimes, visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday, stressing bilateral dialogue and cooperation on cyber issues. [Special coverage]
At a joint press conference with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House, Xi said China and the United States have agreed to step up investigation assistance and information sharing on cyber crime cases.
Both governments would not engage in or knowingly support online theft of intellectual property, he said, adding that the two sides will explore the formulation of appropriate norms of behavior in cyber space.
The two countries have also agreed to establish a high-level dialogue mechanism on the fight against cyber crimes, said the Chinese president.
In addition, Xi expressed the hope that cyber issues would not turn into a point of confrontation between the two sides.
"China and the United States are two major countries in the internet sphere and we should strengthen dialogue and cooperation," Xi said. "Confrontation and friction are not the right choice for both sides."
At the press conference, Obama said the United States and China have made "significant progress" in agreeing to how the two countries can work together, exchange information, and go after individuals or entities that are engaging in cyber crimes or cyber attacks.
He also underlined the importance for the United States and China to work with other countries and the United Nations, as well as the private sector, to start developing an architecture to govern behavior in cyber space.
China and the United States have recently stepped up cyber security exchanges, making the field a promising area of bilateral cooperation.
At a China-U.S. internet forum held in Redmond, Washington state, Xi suggested that the two countries carry out constructive talks on cyber issues on the basis of mutual respect and trust.
In so doing, he said, the two sides can create a new bright spot in bilateral cooperation and enable the cyber space to bring more benefits to the two nations and the people across the world.
