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Moscow, Beijing poised to sign deal on joint cyber security ops

Russian, Chinese security projects on the horizon

Moscow and Beijing will next month sign a deal to commence joint information security projects and operations, and to increase cooperation in the space, according to a popular Russian newspaper with ties to President Vladimir Putin.

Kommersant owned by Russia's richest man and President Putin ally Alisher Usmanov reported (Russian language) sources close to the Krelim said the final text of the infosec agreement was earmarked for signing 10 November.

A draft treaty apparently outlines mutual agreement to the use of online operations to interfere with independent states in a bid to undermine sovereignty or disrupt social, economic or political order.

If the reports are correct, the treaty continues a recent trend towards more co-operation between the states.

The new treaty appears to be "much more ambitious" than a 2013 agreement between Moscow and Washington which created contact points used only in the most pressing crises, Kommersant reported.

That agreement stalled in the wake of the alleged Moscow incursion into Ukraine and was hoped to later advance to include a special working group

Deputy head of Russian's Institute of Information Security Dr Valeria Yaschenko told the paper the agreement was "long overdue".

Presidents Putin and Xi Jinping would announce the treaty during the former's visit to Beijing next month.

China and Moscow have in recent months signed new telecommunications and export deals including the creation of a Huawei underwater link to Russia worth 2.5 billion rubles (AUD$685 million). ®

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