CHINA, THE US AND CYBER ESPIONAGE

HAGEL CHIDES CHINA FOR CYBER ESPIONAGE

Ernesto Londono

The Washington Post, June 1, 2013

SINGAPORE — Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel took China to task for alleged cyber espionage on Saturday, drawing a sharp response from a Chinese general who questioned whether America’s growing military presence in Asia is anything more than an affront to Beijing’s rise.

Delivering the keynote speech at the Shangri-La Security Dialogue, Hagel said the U.S. is “clear-eyed about the challenges in cyber,” and echoed past administration assertions that the “growing threat of cyber intrusions,” targeting U.S. government and industry portals “appear to be tied to the Chinese government and military.”

It was the latest public charge from the Obama administration, which has concluded that calling out China publicly could curb what U.S. officials call a brazen and sophisticated quest for American secrets stored online.

“We are determined to work more vigorously with China and other partners to establish international norms of responsible behavior in cyberspace,” Hagel said in a conference hall packed with Asian military officials.

China has denied Washington’s accusations, most pointedly last week, when it said it did not need to steal American military hardware blueprints because it was more than capable of producing its own.

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