Joint Statement by Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson

On September 25, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson issued the following joint statement:

We welcome recent progress made with the People’s Republic of China on cyber issues of concern to both the United States and China. Through the efforts of President Obama and President Xi Jinping, as well as officials from both sides, we have made several key commitments focused on concrete actions and arrangements to address our differences on cyber issues. These include:

• The United States and China committed that both sides should increase law enforcement communications regarding malicious cyber activities, including breaches of sensitive information, and provide timely responses to requests for information and assistance concerning those activities. Further, both sides agreed to provide updates to the other side on the status and results of those investigations and to take action, as appropriate.
• The United States and China committed that neither country’s government will conduct or knowingly support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, including trade secrets or other confidential business information, with the intent of providing competitive advantages to companies or commercial sectors.

As a means of ensuring that these commitments are upheld and responses are provided in a timely and comprehensive manner, the United States and China committed to establish a high-level joint dialogue mechanism on cybercrime and related issues. We will co-chair the dialogue for the United States, with participation from representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Intelligence Community and other agencies. China will designate an official at the Ministerial level to lead representatives from the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of State Security, Ministry of Justice, and the State Internet and Information Office. This dialogue will enable both sides to periodically assess our progress; address any issues related to investigative cooperation or information exchanges; and outline means for relevant agencies on both sides to enhance cooperation. Further, the two countries will establish a hotline to address urgent issues or difficulties that have not otherwise been successfully resolved. We look forward to scheduling the first session of this dialogue before the end of the calendar year.

We intend to remain personally engaged on these issues to ensure that both sides take concrete and reciprocal steps to advance progress made thus far. These commitments do not resolve all our challenges with China on cyber issues. However, they do represent a step forward in our efforts to address one of the sharpest areas of disagreement in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship. The United States is prepared to fulfill our commitments and make reciprocal efforts. We expect China to do the same and have been clear with the Chinese government that their words must be matched by actions.

Source: DHS