Intl norms needed to safeguard cyberspace: experts(2)

In the meantime, the two countries have been preparing a working group specialized in cyber security and they have agreed to hold high-level talks in July.

However, the surprising revelation by Snowden of widespread hacking by US National Security Agency in China's Hong Kong has caused grave concerns from Beijing.

"The United States wants a quick solution to the problem and minimize its negative influence on US-China relations," international relations professor Jia Qingguo of Peking University told Xinhua.

"But the key lies in how much progress the two countries will achieve in July's strategic and economic dialogue. If they can make notable progress, Snowden's adverse impact on bilateral relations will be repaired pretty soon."

The Chinese expert suggested Beijing and Washington try to find broader common grounds on cyber cooperation. The two countries have many common interests in deterring cyber attacks on infrastructure, military and even nuclear facilities, which "could be as terrible as terrorism."

On Internet spying programs, both countries may need to draw up a framework since there is a fine line between attacks and information collection, said the expert.

Still, cyber security is rather a multilateral issue than a bilateral one, which cannot be realized by cooperation only between China and the United States, Chen said.

He suggested countries use the United Nations and other global organizations as platforms to carry out multilateral talks on cyber security and devise rules.