Suspension of cyber group will affect Sino-US talks

The suspension of the China-US Cyber Working Group will influence talks and cooperation of nongovernmental institutes in the two countries, online security experts said on Tuesday.

It is not a good time to hold conferences of cybersecurity institutes, as similar talks between the governments of the two countries came to a deadlock, according to a network security expert for a nongovernmental computer center, who declined to be identified.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said on Monday that China had suspended activities between the governments’ cyberwork groups, as the US lacked sincerity to solve cybersecurity issues through dialogue.

US Attorney General Eric Holder announced charges against five People’s Liberation Army personnel on Monday of hacking into US companies.

“The suspension can be said to be serious and may affect cyber-security activities of nongovernmental organizations in China and the US to a large extent,” the expert said.

Guo Xunping, vice-president of Bangcle, a Beijing company that provides security services for mobile devices, said some forums and meetings between nongovernmental institutes would be influenced by the case.

“I cannot estimate how many conferences will be canceled and how big an effect the suspension will bring, but I think most Chinese cybersecurity institutes will wait and watch how the case is solved in near future,” he added.

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn