There will be no formal U.S.-China agreement on cyber security during President Xi’s state visit, though the two sides have been negotiating the framework of a deal.
That’s according to Ben Rhodes, President Obama’s Deputy National Security Adviser, in an interview with CCTV America. The White House hopes the U.S.-China Cyber Working Group, which was suspended last year, could be resumed so the two sides can address a range of contentious cyber warfare issues.
The White House also commented for the first time about the recent repatriation of high-profile Chinese corruption suspect Yang Jinjun. “We are open to receiving information that requests extradition,” said Ben Rhodes, “The White House doesn’t get involved in this. This is an independent decision by the Justice Department and the FBI and we do it on a case-by-case basis.” Rhodes suggested the U.S. would only repatriate more Chinese economic fugitives requested by Beijing if there is sufficient evidence.
As one of President Obama’s longest-serving national security advisers, Rhodes attended all the previous Xi-Obama summits. He said the two presidents have discussed such issues as climate change, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the concept of building a great power relationship between China and the U.S.
