President Xi Jinping met with Barack Obama in the Netherlands Monday, where he reportedly questioned the US President on cyberstalking after reports emerged from The New York Times and German magazine Der Spiegel that the NSA had spied on Huawei, China's largest phone-equipment maker.
The two leaders met at a nuclear security summit at the Hague, with China's foreign ministry asking for a "clear explanation" from the US about the latest reports, which alleged the NSA tapped into Huawei servers in Shenzen in order to obtain sensitive information and monitor the communication of top execs. According to White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes, Obama pushed for cooperation on the matter. "What President Obama made clear to him is that ... the United States does not engage in espionage to gain a commercial advantage. We don't share information with our companies," Rhodes said.
Rhodes also revealed that Obama and Xi had touched upon the mounting political crisis in the Ukraine, saying "the United States in general is far more willing to move towards the use of aggressive, punitive actions like sanctions". However, Rhodes conceded that Beijing "had emphasised that sovereignty and territorial integrity were abiding principles of the international system".
Both leaders were positive about Sino-American relations. The US and China have made "incredible strides" according to Obama, who also thanked Xi for hosting his wife during her week-long visit to China. Xi agreed stating there is a "greater space where China and the United States are co-operating", reiterating that China wants to pursue a "new type of major power relationship" with the US.
[Image via CNS]
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