DHS secretary, China to talk cybersecurity

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson will talk cybersecurity with Chinese officials this week against the backdrop of rising tensions online. 

Johnson will spend three days in Beijing to attend what his department described as “homeland security Ministerial meetings.” The mini-summit will begin on Wednesday and will also cover counterterrorism and global crime.

{mosads}The visit will be the latest in a string of face-to-face meetings between U.S. and Chinese officials in which cybersecurity is a topic. Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Washington, D.C., in September, and administration officials are already preparing to emphasize the issue at that time. 

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew traveled to China in late March to discuss currency policy and cyber issues. Following the meeting, China said it would suspend the rollout of new rules restricting Chinese banks’ use of foreign information technology. 

The visits are taking place amid increasing conflict between the United States and China in cyberspace. 

China is considered one of the U.S.’s most powerful adversaries online, and Chinese hackers have been blamed for cyberattacks on entities from Anthem, the health insurer, to Github, a major coding site. 

Just last week, the Obama administration announced a new sanctions regime to punish hackers that inflict serious damage on U.S. institutions. China voiced opposition to the move.