The United States has halted plans to impose sanctions on China's ministry of state security over a massive cyber spying campaign to avoid derailing a trade truce struck by both countries this year, the Financial Times said on Wednesday (Dec 3).
Chinese-linked hackers had previously targeted a host of US and global telecommunications companies and a US state's Army National Guard network in a wide-ranging and years-long cyberespionage campaign tracked as Salt Typhoon.
President Donald Trump's administration will also not enact major new export controls against China, the report said, citing several US officials and others familiar with the situation.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
Following months of trade tensions triggered by US tariffs, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Trump reached a framework agreement in South Korea on Oct 30. Washington agreed not to impose 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports and China would hold off on an export licensing regime for crucial rare earth minerals and magnets.
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