US, China negotiating arms deal in cyberspace: Report

The United States and China are negotiating an arms-control agreement for cyberspace to address the rising number of attacks against critical infrastructure in both countries, according to a report.

The talks are focused on a commitment that the US and China will not be the first to use cyber-weapons against the other nation, The New York Times reported Saturday, citing officials involved in the discussions.

The accord, which would be the first arms-control deal for cyberspace, will potentially protect against attacks on power stations, banking systems, cellphone networks and hospitals, The Times said.

“It would be the first time that cyber is treated as a military capability that needs to be governed as nuclear, chemical and biological weapons are,” said Vikram Singh, a former Pentagon and State Department official.

However, it is unlikely that the accord would directly address the most urgent issues, such as espionage and theft of American intellectual property as well as the recent theft of millions of government employees' personal data, which US officials have blamed on China.

The negotiations have been expedited in recent weeks, and an agreement is expected to be announced when Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for a state visit on Thursday.

President Barack Obama said Wednesday that cyber security would “probably be one of the biggest topics” of his meeting with the Chinese president.

US officials said earlier this month that the Obama administration was preparing to impose sanctions on Chinese companies linked to the alleged cyber theft of American intellectual property.

Washington has for years accused the Chinese government and military of conducting computer-based attacks against the US, including efforts to steal information from federal agencies.

Beijing says Washington’s cyber attack accusations are hypocritical, since intelligence leaks have revealed that the US itself is most active perpetrator of cyber espionage against foreign countries, especially against China.

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