There was also the enigmatic incident of the planes during the summit. Two Chinese fighters dangerously and aggressively waved a US spy plane over international waters. This is not the kind of thing that countries do when their leaders are about to meet. Was it Xi who sent a signal to Obama, the People`s Liberation Army a signal to Xi, or was it a local commander who slipped on a leash? We don`t know, but the answer has a big impact on the cybersecurity deal. Serious discussions began a few years ago on how to respond to Chinese cyberespionage. A strategy combining pressure and complacency seemed to be the best alternative to passivity, and U.S. concerns were expressed many times, including in a December 2013 non-paper addressed to Chinese officials, in which sanctions, accusations, and other measures were discussed if things didn`t improve. At the time, there were objections to this approach not working because Chinese culture and attitude opposed a deal and we couldn`t influence their decision-making. This criticism was wrong. If there are reasons to criticize, it would be wrong to let so many months pass between accusations (which, contrary to much of the public discourse) have had a strong effect) and any follow-up action. A subtle distinction to be sure. But as Lin suggests, a recent report by the National Counterintelligence and Security Center suggested that the Obama-Xi deal may have had the desired effect by limiting precisely the type of espionage that worries the Obama administration the most.

If this is true, it has a very significant impact; First, it indicates that China, at least in some areas, is sensitive to some kind of moral support (or perhaps rather “open to clarifying its own interest”). It also indicates that a repeated and harsh condemnation of Chinese espionage could be counterproductive, especially if China believes it has acted in accordance with the agreement it has reached with President Obama. Asked whether China had violated the 2015 agreement between then-President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Rob Joyce, an official with the National Security Agency, said, “We think it`s them.” When he announced the deal, President Obama warned, “We will closely monitor whether progress has been made in this area.” The available evidence indicates that the overall level of China-backed piracy has declined. FireEye published a report in June 2016 claiming that the number of network compromises by China-based hacking groups it tracks has fallen from 60 in February 2013 to less than 10 in May 2016. The absence of evidence is not proof of absence, and the Chinese can become more secretive and sophisticated in their attacks. Indeed, FireEye has found that the decrease in the number of attacks can be accompanied by an increase in the sophistication of attacks. U.S. Assistant Attorney General John Carlin confirmed the company`s findings that the attacks were less extensive, but more concentrated and calculated. Chinese hackers may have shifted their attention to other targets. Kaspersky Labs reported that Chinese hacking of the Russian defense, nuclear and aviation industry almost tripled in the first seven months of 2016: “Although it is not black and white, (China) has respected the agreement or they have not respected the agreement, it is clear that they are now far exceeding the limits of the agreement, which has been closed between our countries.

” said Joyce. . . .