President Obama:
I know we're a little behind,
but that's mainly because
President Xi and I had
a very constructive conversation
on a whole range of
strategic issues,
from North Korea to cyberspace
to international institutions.
And I'm very much
looking forward
to continuing the conversation,
not only tonight at dinner
but also tomorrow.
But I thought we'd take a quick
break just to take a question
from both the U.S.
and Chinese press.
So what I'll do is I'll
start with Julie Pace
and then President Xi can call
on a Chinese counterpart.
The Press:
Thank you, Mr. President.
How damaging has Chinese
cyber-hacking been to the U.S.?
And did you warn your
counterpart about any specific
consequences if those
actions continue?
And also, while there are
obviously differences between
China's alleged actions and
your government's surveillance
programs, do you think that the
new NSA revelations undermine
your position on these issues
at all during these talks?
And President Xi, did --
President Obama:
Why don't you let
the interpreter --
The Press:
And President Xi,
did you acknowledge
in your talks
with President Obama
that China has been launching
cyber attacks against the U.S.?
Do you also believe
that the U.S. is launching
similar attacks against China?
And if so, can you tell us
what any of the
targets may have been?
Thank you.
President Obama:
Well, Julie, first of all,
we haven't had, yet,
in-depth discussions about
the cybersecurity issue.
We're speaking at the
40,000-foot level,
and we'll have more
intensive discussions
during this evening's dinner.
What both President Xi
and I recognize is that
because of these incredible 
advances in technology,
that the issue of cybersecurity 
and the need for rules
and common approaches
to cybersecurity
are going to be
increasingly important
as part of bilateral relationships
and multilateral relationships.
In some ways,
these are uncharted waters
and you don't have
the kinds of protocols
that have governed
military issues,
for example, and arms issues,
where nations have a lot
of experience in trying to
negotiate what's acceptable
and what's not.
And it's critical,
as two of the largest economies
and military powers
in the world,
that China and
the United States arrive
at a firm understanding
of how we work together
on these issues.
But I think it's important,
Julie, to get to the second part
of your question, to distinguish 
between the deep concerns
we have as a government around
theft of intellectual property
or hacking into systems that
might disrupt those systems --
whether it's our financial
systems, our critical
infrastructure and so forth --
versus some of the issues
that have been raised
around NSA programs.
When it comes to those
cybersecurity issues
like hacking or theft,
those are not issues
that are unique
to the U.S.-China relationship.
Those are issues that are
of international concern.
Oftentimes it's non-state actors
who are engaging in
these issues as well.
And we're going to have to work
very hard to build a system
of defenses and protections,
both in the private sector
and in the public sector,
even as we negotiate
with other countries
around setting up common
rules of the road.
And as China continues
in its development process
and more of its economy is based 
on research and innovation
and entrepreneurship,
they're going to have
similar concerns.
Which is why I believe
we can work together on this
rather than at cross-purposes.
Now, the NSA program,
as I discussed this morning,
is a very limited issue,
but it does have
broad implications
for our society because you've
got a lot of data out there,
a lot of communications
that are in cyberspace.
And how we deal with both
identifying potential
terrorists or criminals,
how the private sector
deals with potential theft,
and how the federal government,
state governments,
local governments, and the
private sector coordinate
to keep out some of
these malicious forces
while still preserving
the openness
and the incredible power of
the Internet and the web
and these new
telecommunications systems --
that's a complicated and
important piece of business.
But it's different from these
issues of theft and hacking.
And every government is then
inevitably going to be involved
in these issues,
just like big companies
are going to be involved
in these issues.
I mean, you've got
private companies
that have a lot more data
and a lot more details
about people's emails
and telephone calls than the
federal government does.
And if we're called upon
not only to make sure
that we're anticipating 
terrorist communications
but we're also called upon to
work with the private sector
to prevent theft out of ATMs,
et cetera,
then we're going to
have to find ways
to deal with this big data
in ways that are consistent
with our values;
in ways that protect
people's privacy,
that ensure oversight,
and strike the right balance.
And as I indicated this morning,
that's a conversation
that I welcome having.
President Xi: (as interpreted)
As President Obama said,
in our meeting this afternoon
we just briefly touched upon
the issue of cybersecurity.
And the Chinese government is
firm in upholding cybersecurity
and we have major concerns
about cybersecurity.
In the few days before President
Obama and I meet today,
I note sharp increased
media coverage
of the issue of cybersecurity.
This might give people the sense
or feeling that cybersecurity
as a threat mainly comes from
China or that the issue
of cybersecurity is
the biggest problem
in the China-U.S. relationship.
The application of
new technology
is a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, it will drive
progress in ensuring better
material and cultural
life for the people.
On the other hand, it might
create some problems for
regulators and it might infringe
upon the rights of states,
enterprises, societies
and individuals.
We need to pay close attention
to this issue and study ways
to effectively
resolve this issue.
And this matter can actually
be an area for China
and the United States to work 
together with each other
in a pragmatic way.
And I'm happy to learn
that within the context
of the China-U.S. strategic
and economic dialogue,
a working group has been
established to discuss
cybersecurity issues.
So this is an issue that the two
sides will continue to discuss.
By conducting good-faith
cooperation we can remove
misgivings and make information
security and cybersecurity
a positive area of cooperation 
between China and the U.S.
Because China and the
United States both have a need
and both share a concern,
and China is a victim
of cyber attacks
and we hope that
earnest measures
can be taken to
resolve this matter.
Thank you.
The Press:
I'm with China
Central Television
and my question
for President Xi is,
what are the main issues
that were discussed
in the longer-than-expected
meeting this afternoon?
And what are the
major areas of consensus
that have emerged
from the discussion?
And last year, when you were
visiting the United States,
you raised the concept of the
two sides working together
to explore what you call a
new model of major country
relationship, something
that is unprecedented
in the relationship
and that can inspire
future generations.
And after this
concept was raised,
there has been much discussion 
and comment on it,
both in China
and the United States
and in the world more broadly.
So did you have further
discussion on this issue
in your meeting this afternoon?
And my question
for President Obama is,
what will the United States do
to contribute to the
building of a new model
of major country relationship 
between China and the U.S.?
President Xi: (as interpreted) 
In the first meeting
that I've had with
President Obama this afternoon,
we had an in-depth, sincere
and candid discussion
on the domestic and
foreign policies
of China and the United States,
on our joint work to
build a new model
of major country relationship,
and our international
and regional issues
of mutual interest.
And the President
and I reached
important consensus
on these issues.
I stated very clearly
to President Obama
that China will be
firmly committed
to the path of
peaceful development
and China will be firm
in deepening reform
and opening up the country
wider to the world.
China will work hard to
realize the Chinese dream
of the great national renewal
and will work hard to push
forward the noble cause
of peace and development
for all mankind.
By the Chinese dream, we seek
to have economic prosperity,
national renewal and
people's well-being.
The Chinese dream is about
cooperation, development,
peace and win-win,
and it is connected
to the American Dream
and the beautiful dreams people
in other countries may have.
President Obama and I both
believe that in the age
of economic globalization and
facing the objective need
of countries sticking together
in the face of difficulties,
China and the United States
must find a new path --
one that is different
from the inevitable 
confrontation and conflict
between the major
countries of the past.
And that is to say the two sides
must work together to build
a new model of major country
relationship based on mutual
respect and win-win cooperation
for the benefit of the Chinese
and American peoples, and
people elsewhere in the world.
The international community
looks to China and the
United States to deliver this.
When China and the
United States work together,
we can be an anchor
for world stability
and the propeller
of world peace.
I stand ready to work with
President Obama to expand
on all levels of exchanges
between the two sides.
I look forward to maintaining
close communication
with the President
through mutual visits,
bilateral meetings, exchange
of letters and phone calls.
And I invited President
Obama to come to China
at an appropriate time for
a similar meeting like this.
And we look forward to
visiting each other country.
At the same time, the two sides
will work hard to make progress
in the various
bilateral mechanisms,
such as the strategic
and economic dialogue
and the high-level consultation 
on people-to-people exchange.
Also, the Chinese
Minister of Foreign Affairs
and the Chinese Minister
of National Defense
will both make visits to the 
United States within the year.
Our two sides should also step
up exchanges and cooperation
in economy and trade, energy,
environment, people-to-people,
and cultural fields, as well as
at the sub-national level,
so that we can deepen the shared
interests of the two countries
and expand them to all areas.
We should also improve
and strengthen
the military-to-military
relationship
between the two countries
and promote the
building of a new model
of military relationship
between the two sides.
The two sides should
also improve coordination on
microeconomic policies so that
by strengthening cooperation,
we can contribute to our 
respective development at home,
and promote strong, sustainable 
and balanced economic growth
in the Asia Pacific region
and the world at large.
And I'm confident in our joint
effort to build a new model
of major country relationship.
I believe success hinges
on the human effort.
Firstly, both sides
have the political
will to build this relationship.
Secondly, our cooperation
in the last 40 years provides
a good foundation
for us to build on.
Thirdly, between China
and the United States,
there are over 90 
intergovernmental mechanisms
which provide the institutional 
underpinning for our efforts.
Fourth, there is strong public
support for this kind
of relationship between China
and the United States.
There are 220 pairs
of sister provinces,
states and cities
between China and the U.S.
There are 190,000 Chinese
students in the United States,
and 20,000 American
students in China.
And fifth, there is enormous
scope for future cooperation
between China and the U.S.
Of course, this endeavor
is unprecedented
and one that will
inspire future generations.
So we need to deepen
our mutual understanding,
strengthen our mutual trust,
further develop our cooperation
and manage our differences
so that we can avoid
the traditional path 
of inevitable confrontation
between major countries and 
really embark on a new path.
The Chinese nation and American
nation are great nations,
and the Chinese people
and American people
are great peoples.
As long as we stand
high and look far,
as long as we make
specific progress
and accumulate them over time,
as long as we maintain
confidence and determination,
as long as we have
wisdom and patience,
I'm confident that
we will succeed
in achieving this
historical mission.
I'm sorry for going too long.
Thank you.
President Obama:
Well, I think President Xi
summarized very well
the scope of
our conversations.
We spoke about some very
specific issues --
for example, President Xi
mentioned the importance
of military-to-military
communications.
In the past, we've had
high-level diplomatic
communications about economic
and strategic issues,
but we haven't always
had as effective communications
between our militaries.
And at a time when there's so
much activity around the world,
it's very important that we
each understand our strategic
objectives at the military as
well as the political levels.
So that's an example
of concrete progress
that can advance this
new model of relations
between the United
States and China.
So we'll be taking steps
to institutionalize
and regularize such discussions.
But more broadly, I think
President Xi identified
the essence of our discussions
in which we shared
our respective visions
for our countries'
futures and agreed
that we're more likely 
to achieve our objectives
of prosperity and
security of our people
if we are working
together cooperatively,
rather than engaged in conflict.
And I emphasized my
firm belief to President Xi
that it is very much 
in the interest of the United States
for China to continue
its peaceful rise,
because if China is successful,
that helps to drive the world
economy and it puts China
in the position to work
with us as equal partners
in dealing with many
of the global challenges
that no single nation
can address by itself.
So, for example, neither country
by itself can deal
with the challenge
of climate change.
That's an issue that we'll
have to deal with together.
China as the largest country,
as it continues to develop,
will be a larger and
larger carbon emitter
unless we find new 
mechanisms for green growth.
The United States, we have
the largest carbon footprint
per capita in the world;
we've got to bring
down our carbon levels
in order to accommodate
continued growth.
And so that will translate
then into opportunities
for specific work
around green technologies
and research and development,
and interactions between our
scientists so that we can,
together, help advance the
goal of a sustainable planet,
even as we continue
to grow and develop.
We've got a lot of work to do to
take these broad understandings
down to the level of specifics,
and that will require
further discussions
not only today and tomorrow,
but for weeks,
months, years to come.
But what I'm very encouraged
about is that both President Xi
and myself recognize
we have a unique opportunity
to take the U.S.-China
relationship to a new level.
And I am absolutely
committed to making sure
that we don't miss
that opportunity.
Thank you very much, everybody.
