It would be the "first diplomatic effort to defuse the tensions over what the United States says is a daily barrage of computer break-ins and theft of corporate and government secrets," the report said yesterday.
An unnamed senior US official involved in negotiations to hold regular meetings said in an interview with the daily on Friday that "we need to get some norms and rules." The first talks were set for July.
"American officials say they do not expect the process to immediately yield a significant reduction in the daily intrusions from China," the Times report said.
But "it is a serious issue that cannot simply be swatted away with talking points," said an unnamed US official, who noted that the meetings would focus primarily on the theft of intellectual property from American companies.
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"Our concerns are not limited to that, but that's what needs urgent attention," the source added.
In Singapore, yesterday, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel accused China of waging cyber espionage against the United States, raising pressure on Beijing over the issue ahead of a key summit between their leaders.
Hagel's remarks came just days after China's defense ministry dismissed a Pentagon report accusing Chinese hackers of accessing US weapons designs.
China says it is a victim of cyberattacks.
The Singapore conference took place ahead of the June 7-8 meeting between Obama and Xi, the first meeting between the two leaders since Xi took office in March.