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U.S. says cyber charges against China show it will not stand idle

A man types on a computer keyboard in Warsaw in this February 28, 2013 illustration file picture. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Files

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States' pursuit of charges against China related to cyber spying shows Washington will not stand idle on the issue, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday in Beijing, as President Barack Obama joined a meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders. It is better for the two nations to have a dialogue on the issue of cyber spying, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes told reporters on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Cybersecurity has been a significant irritant in U.S.-China ties. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation last month said hackers it believed to be backed by the Chinese government recently launched more attacks on U.S. companies, a charge China rejected as unfounded. In May, the United States charged five Chinese military officers with hacking the systems of American firms, prompting China to shut down a bilateral working group on cybersecurity. (Reporting by Michael Martina; Writing by Jason Subler; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)