China’s defense minister, Gen. Chang Wanquan, denied Aug. 19 his country engages in cyber attacks or hacking and pledged cooperation with the United States to promote cyber security through a working group recently established between the two countries.
“We oppose having any kind of arms race in the cyber domain, and we oppose taking use of information technology to conduct any kind of operation in hostility towards another party in the cyber domain,” Chang said through a translator at a press conference with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel following their meeting at the Pentagon.
The United States and China have accused each other of hacking, rhetoric that has been on the rise during the last year. Chang said the “Chinese military has never supported any form of hacker activities.”
“Regarding how to solve the cyber security issue, I believe it requires the common exploration and cooperation between China and United States rather than ungrounded accusations or suspicion,” he said.
The United States and China announced earlier in August that a working group had been created to address cyber security.
“General Chang and I have also both welcomed this recent establishment of a new U.S.-China cyber working group as a venue for addressing issues of mutual concern in the area of cyber,” Hagel said.
Hagel and Chang met to discuss a host of topics of designed to build military relations between the two countries, as well as security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. The region is the focus of a revised U.S. strategy announced in early 2012 to shift greater military assets to the Asia-Pacific.
Chang said Beijing has accepted a first-time invitation to participate in U.S.-led Pacific rim naval exercises known as RIMPAC. It is the largest annually maritime exercise and will take place in the summer of 2014.
Hagel said China’s role in RIMPAC is an example that the countries “will continue expanding our defense exchanges and joint exercises.”