South China Sea

: U.S. worries about cybersecurity following massive attacks on government computers that U.S. officials have blamed on Chinese hackers would also be addressed in very direct terms, the official said, according to Euro News. More than 400 Chinese officials are in Washington for the annual talks under the wide-ranging Strategic and Economic Dialogue framework, which will involve eight U.S. cabinet secretaries. The U.S. side, led on Monday by Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, reiterated U.S. concerns about China pursuit of territorial claims in the South China Sea, the official said. The meetings come at a time of waning trust and widening differences between the two countries, even though they maintain robust economic ties worth $590 billion in two-way trade last year. U.S. President Barack Obama is struggling to secure backing from Congress for legislation needed to speed a 12-nation trade deal, which is the economic plank of his Asia policy intended as a counterweight to China growing influence. U.S. concerns have been mounting about Beijing challenge to its dominance of global finance and about restrictions on U.S. businesses in China. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.