A top US senator has requested US President Barack obama to raise the issue of increasing cyber threats in the meeting with Chinese President in California next month.
In a letter, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin has asked Obama to make it clear to China's President Xi Jinping that United States "will indeed impose real costs on China" if they continue to steal American intellectual property.
A copy of the letter dated May 28 was released yesterday in which Levin has urged Obama to use legislation (S 884) as an example of US willingness to act against cyber theft originating from China.
"S 884 would require the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to produce a report that includes a priority watch list of foreign countries that engage in economic or industrial espionage against US in cyberspace.
"The bill authorise the President, if he determines such action is warranted to block imports of certain categories of goods if they benefited from the stolen US technology or proprietary information," said Levin.
Earlier in the day, the White House had said the Obama Administration was taking very seriously any threat to its cyber world.
"I think we have been clear in our concern about cyber security and cyber intrusions emanating from China," said Jay Carney, White House Press Secretary.
The issue was also raised by the National Security Advisor Tom Donilon during his just concluded trip to China.
"He raised our growing concerns with senior Chinese officials on this matter and made clear that US will do all to protect its national networks, critical infrastructure and valuable public and private sector property.
"China has agreed last month to start a new working group on cyber issues. We seek longer-term changes in China's behaviour by working together to establish norms against the theft of trade secrets and confidential business information," said Carney.
