China, US to discuss cyber security at forum

BEIJING (AP) -- China's government says it is ready to discuss strengthening cybersecurity at a high-level forum with U.S. officials next week and wants Washington to help settle territorial disputes in East Asia.

Chinese officials said Friday next week's two-day Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington will include talks on finance and climate change. It will include the inaugural gathering of a U.S.-Chinese cyber security group.

Beijing is under U.S. pressure to crack down on cyberspying after security consultants tracked a wave of hacking attacks to China.

An assistant foreign minister, Zheng Zeguang, said Beijing is ready to work with the United States to build a "peaceful, secure, open" online environment.

Zheng said Beijing wants Washington to "do more to contribute" to settling tensions over the East China Sea and South China Sea.