REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, RANCHO MIRAGE - The United States and China are in "uncharted waters" as they tackle the contentious issue of cybersecurity, President Barack Obama said following the opening round of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit in the California desert.
Obama and Xi opened their second day of talks Saturday with a staged walk for the press through the grounds of the Sunnylands estate, with Obama telling reporters the meetings have been "terrific." They chatted with each other through interpreters as they walked along a manicured lawn, then over a small bridge. In the spirit of the informal summit, they went without jackets.
The issue of cyberespionage hangs over the summit, although both leaders carefully avoided accusing each other of the practice when talking to the press at the end of their first day of meetings. But they acknowledged an urgent need to find a common approach to addressing the matter.
"We don't have the kind of protocols that have governed military issues and arms issues, where nations have a lot of experience in trying to negotiate what's acceptable and what's not," Obama said during a news conference with Xi late Friday.
It was their first meeting since Xi took office in March. However, it's cybersecurity that has taken on increasing importance to the Obama administration in its recent talks with China. Because of advances in technology, the issue of cybersecurity and need for rules and common approach for cybersecurity are going to be increasingly important, Obama said.
Obama said it was critical that the US and China reach a "firm understanding" on cyber issues. But he stopped short of accusing China of orchestrating hacking attacks on American government and business computers.
Xi claimed no responsibility for China's alleged actions. He said his nation was also a victim of cyberspying but did not assign any blame. The discussion on international cyberspying was juxtaposed with new revelations that the Obama administration is collecting data from US phone and Internet companies.
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