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Chinese president takes charge of new cyber effort Chinese president takes charge of new cyber effort
(about 4 hours later)
BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping personally took charge of a new government body overseeing China’s cybersecurity and vowed Thursday to turn China into a “cyber power,” according to state-run media. BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping personally took charge of a new government body overseeing China’s cybersecurity and vowed Thursday to turn China into a “cyber power,” according to state-run media.
Xi’s move to head up the new “central Internet security and informatization leading group” comes amid increasing distrust and tensions between U.S. and China over cyber-intrusions carried out by each others’ government. It also takes place on the heels of a crackdown by Chinese authorities on online dissent that has resulted in the arrest and suppression of numerous bloggers. Xi’s move to head up the new Central Internet Security and Informatization Leading Group comes amid increasingtensions between the United States and China over concerns about cyber-intrusions carried out by both governments. It also takes place on the heels of a crackdown by Chinese authorities on online dissent that has resulted in the arrest and suppression of numerous bloggers.
Xi presided over the group’s first meeting Thursday, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. Xi emphasized that Internet security is “a major strategic issue concerning a country’s security and development as well as people’s life and work,” according to Xinhua. Xi presided over the group’s first meeting Thursday, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. He emphasized that Internet security is “a major strategic issue concerning a country’s security and development as well as people’s life and work,” according to Xinhua.
“Efforts should be made to build our country into a cyber power,” the news agency quoted Xi as saying.“Efforts should be made to build our country into a cyber power,” the news agency quoted Xi as saying.
The government released sparse details about the group Thursday evening. Premier Li Keqiang and Liu Yunshan, who are members of the China’s most powerful body, the Communist Party’s standing committee, were also named as the cyber group’s deputy heads. The government released sparse details about the group. Premier Li Keqiang and Liu Yunshan, both members of the Communist Party’s Standing Committee, China’s most powerful body, were named as the cyber group’s deputy heads.
State-run CCTV outlined several goals of the group, including the drafting of a comprehensive national cybersecurity strategy and coordination of cybersecurity across sectors. According CCTV, Xi tied the importance of government work on securing the Internet to long-term priorities such as a maintaining control over public opinion in China.State-run CCTV outlined several goals of the group, including the drafting of a comprehensive national cybersecurity strategy and coordination of cybersecurity across sectors. According CCTV, Xi tied the importance of government work on securing the Internet to long-term priorities such as a maintaining control over public opinion in China.
According to CCTV, Xi also sounded notes of alarm, saying China now lags behind in innovation and also faces a deepening digital gap between its rural and urban areas. He also noted that the average bandwidth available to most Chinese residents lags far behind other developed countries. The state-run TV station said Xi sounded notes of alarm, saying China now lags behind in innovation and faces a widening digital gap between its rural and urban areas. He also noted that the average bandwidth available to most Chinese residents is lower than in many developed countries.
Xi compared the twin goals of developing China’s IT technology and its cybersecurity capabilities as “two wings of a bird and two wheels of an engine.”Xi compared the twin goals of developing China’s IT technology and its cybersecurity capabilities as “two wings of a bird and two wheels of an engine.”
Since a report last year by a U.S. security firm linking a Chinese military unit to several cyberattacks on companies, U.S. officials have taken increasingly stronger stances against China. In the first half of last year especially, top U.S. officials confronted China more publicly than ever on cyberattacks, arguing that China’s use of government-sponsored attacks to steal commercial data from private U.S. companies was unprecedented. A report last year by an American security firm, the Alexandria-based Mandiant, linked a Chinese military unit to several cyberattacks on companies. U.S. officials have taken a tough stance on Chinese cyberattacks, saying the government was even using them to steal commercial data from private U.S. companies.
But that argument has lost much momentum in the past half year after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed sophisticated and large-scale U.S. cyber-surveillance into other countries, including China. But some say the U.S. position has been undermined by revelations from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden that the American government carried out sophisticated and large-scale cyber-surveillance of other countries, including China.
And as more disclosures have come to light, Chinese officials have expressed mounting worries about vulnerabilities, and many have called for avoiding U.S. hardware in sensitive sectors of government and industry. And as more disclosures of U.S. cyber-surveillance have come to light, Chinese officials have expressed mounting worries about their vulnerabilities, and many have called for avoiding U.S. hardware in sensitive sectors of government and industry.
The fallout has put a significant dent into major U.S. tech companies. Cisco’s revenue in China has dropped, and its leaders have attributed it directly to Chinese backlash after the Snowden disclosures. The fallout has put a significant dent in major U.S. tech companies’ business here. Cisco’s revenues in China have dropped because of the backlash after the Snowden revelations, company officials say.
This month, Chinese anti-monopoly regulators revealed that they were investigating U.S. chip company Qualcomm of overcharging. This month, Chinese anti-monopoly regulators revealed that they were investigating the U.S. chip company Qualcomm on allegations of overcharging.
While neither China nor the company have publicly linked the investigation to tensions over cybersecurity, Qualcomm chief executive Paul Jacobs told the Wall Street Journal in November that “we are definitely seeing increased pressure. All U.S. tech companies are seeing pressure. … You have to be very cautious. We are always very careful with whatever steps we take. How we sell. How we interact.” While neither China nor the company have publicly linked the investigation to tensions over cybersecurity, Qualcomm chief executive Paul Jacobs told the Wall Street Journal in November that “we are definitely seeing increased pressure. All U.S. tech companies are seeing pressure. . . . You have to be very cautious. We are always very careful with whatever steps we take. How we sell. How we interact.”
Liu Liu contributed to this report.Liu Liu contributed to this report.