Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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               Report: US Preparing Sanctions for Chinese Hacking

   by VOA News

   The United States is preparing to respond to China's cyber espionage by
   levying sanctions against individuals and companies who have benefited
   from the theft of trade secrets, The Washington Post reported late
   Sunday.

   Citing unnamed officials in President Barack Obama's administration,
   the Post said the U.S. has not yet decided whether to issue the
   sanctions, but that a decision is expected soon.

   Obama signed an executive order on April 1 authorizing the Treasury
   Department, in consultation with the Attorney General and Secretary of
   State, to freeze assets of and block transactions with anyone
   responsible for hacking of U.S. entities or receiving that information
   for financial gain.

   The issue has been a focus of his administration this year, including
   the creation in February of a new federal agency to analyze threats to
   the nation's cybersecurity, and another executive order encouraging
   companies to share more information about hacking threats with the
   government and each other.

   China has long been the focus of accusations of hacking against
   American companies and government targets.  In May, the U.S. charged
   five Chinese military officers with conducting economic espionage
   against American companies.  China rejected the allegations.

   Issuing sanctions would be a different kind of response by the U.S.,
   one that an administration official quoted by the Post said was part of
   a "comprehensive strategy to confront such actors."  The official said
   those steps also include diplomatic efforts, trade policy and law
   enforcement, and that taken together they would show China that certain
   behavior will have costs to U.S.-Chinese relations.

   Another official quoted in the report said imposing sanctions would
   both signal to China that the U.S. is "going to start fighting back on
   economic espionage" and to U.S. companies that they have the support of
   the government.

   The possible sanctions come as Obama prepares to host Chinese President
   Xi Jinping for a visit and state dinner in September.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/report-us-preparing-sanctions-for-chi
   nese-hacking/2938967.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/report-us-preparing-sanctions-for-chinese-hacking/2938967.html