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U.S. NEWSSaturday 26 September

Obama, China’s Xi agree to curb economic cyberspying

JULIE PACE Obama said, indicating his
skepticism about Chinese
AP White House Correspon- assurances on the issue as
he stood alongside Xi at a
dent White House news confer-
ence. Obama’s wariness
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- underscored deep U.S.
concerns about what offi-
dent Barack Obama on Fri- cials say is China’s massive
cyber campaign to steal
day laid out a fresh threat trade secrets and intellec-
tual property from Ameri-
of sanctions for economic can companies. While Chi-
na has publicly denied be-
espionage emanating ing behind such activities,

from China, even as he

and President Xi Jinping

pledged their countries

would not conduct or sup-

port such hacking.

“The question now is: Are

words followed by action?”

President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrive for their joint news conference,
Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. officials say their coun- China Sea, where Beijing cap-and-trade system be-
terparts in Beijing have has alarmed its neighbors ginning in 2017 that would
begun to take the matter with a major campaign cover highly polluting sec-
more seriously, as well as of artificial island-build- tors ranging from power
the potential impact on ties ing. China has reclaimed generation to papermak-
with Washington. about 3,000 acres of land ing. China also said it will
“Confrontation and friction in the past year-and-a-half commit $3.1 billion to help
are not the right choice for by dredging sand from the developing countries re-
both sides,” Xi said, speak- ocean bed. duce carbon emissions.m
ing through an interpreter. On human rights, long a U.S. officials say that while
The spying tensions cast a divisive issue between the they regularly hack Chi-
shadow over Xi’s state visit U.S. and China, Xi made no nese networks for espio-
to Washington, a grand af- commitments, saying only nage purposes, they don’t
fair complete with a formal that countries must have steal corporate secrets
welcome ceremony and a the right “to choose their and hand them to Ameri-
black-tie dinner. Obama own development inde- can companies. Chinese
faced criticism from some pendently.” officials traditionally have
Republicans for honoring Obama and Xi did her- viewed that distinction as
China with a state visit giv- ald progress on climate meaningless, saying that
en the cyber concerns, as change, one of the few national security and eco-
well as U.S. worries about areas of bilateral coopera- nomic security are inextri-
Beijing’s human rights abus- tion that has proceeded cably linked.
es and assertive posture in smoothly in recent months, Ahead of Xi’s visit to Wash-
territorial disputes in the largely because Beijing has ington, the U.S. administra-
East and South China Seas. struggled to contain heavy tion had been preparing
While the latter issues were air, water and soil pollution economic sanctions in re-
discussed during Obama that has destroyed farm- taliation for Chinese cy-
and Xi’s lengthy talks, no land, sent cancer rates bertheft. However, officials
discernable progress was soaring and left its cities decided to hold off on the
made. cloaked in dense smog. penalties in hopes that an
Xi said the Chinese have In conjunction with the accord like the one an-
“the right to uphold our own state visit, Xi announced a nounced Friday could be
sovereignty” in the South blueprint for a nationwide reached.q