Talks with US pave way for better cyber security

US Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson greet State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun of China prior to a meeting on cybercrime and related issues at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., December 1, 2015. [Photo/IC]

It is good to see the first round of high-level dialogues between China and the United States on cyber crimes has yielded encouraging outcomes. The positive development shows both countries' efforts to address cyber security, which has recently stood out as a thorny issue between them.

The dialogue, held in Washington on Tuesday, was co-chaired by China's State Councilor and Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun, US Attorney General Loretta Lynch and US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. The two sides reached an agreement on the guidelines for joint efforts against cyber crimes and the establishment of a hot line.

The fact that seven Chinese ministerial-level officials attended the dialogue shows China's sincerity and resolve to enhance bilateral cooperation and defuse tensions over the issue.

The dialogue is a mechanism to put into practice the important consensus reached between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Barack Obama during Xi's state visit to the US in September.

Cyber issues also featured in their meeting on the sidelines of the UN climate change conference in Paris on Monday, during which Xi urged the two sides to join hands with the international community to formulate global rules in order to build a peaceful, safe and transparent cyberspace.

The US' constant blaming of China for cyber attacks and cyber espionage against the US has contributed to the recent skirmishes between the two sides. China has rejected the US accusations, and the US has offered no concrete evidence to back up its accusations.

As a global issue that poses challenges to all countries in the world, cyber security can only be addressed through cooperation between countries. Unilateralism and finger pointing only create tensions and offset efforts to safeguard cyber security.

Under the backdrop of frequent incidents and ever-increasing cyber security threats, China and the US, both with highly developed Internet technology, have practical needs to deepen their mutual trust and cooperation in the virtual world.

Monday's dialogue is clear evidence that the two can expand their cooperation in areas of common interest so that their differences can be gradually bridged, and the larger picture of bilateral ties will not be overshadowed by the issue of cyber security.

The two countries have every reason to continue to build on the current desirable momentum, and by joining hands contribute to efforts to establish global rules for cyberspace.