10月4日，中美首輪執法及網絡安全對話在華盛頓順利舉行，中國公安部部長郭聲琨和美國司法部部長塞申斯、國土安全部代理部長杜克主持了此次會議。執法及網絡安全對話是4月中美元首莊園會晤確定的四個高級別對話機制之一，體現出兩國領導層對該議題的重視。從首次對話情況看，中美在網絡議題上的合作進入到新的層面，兩國更偏向於從務實角度考慮問題，注重解決實際問題，繼續降低該議題的政治干擾。

執法及網絡安全對話的前身是2015年習近平主席與奧巴馬總統建立的打擊網絡犯罪及相關事項高級別聯合對話機制。後者自2015年12月以來進行了三輪卓有成效的對話，達成了建立熱線機制、合作打擊網絡犯罪、合作增強網絡保護能力、共享網絡犯罪信息、開展打擊網絡犯罪推演等共識。特朗普總統上台後，外界對於這一機制能否延續存在疑問，懷疑特朗普是否對此類政府間正式對話機制不感興趣。這種擔心並不符合實際，特朗普總統對對話機制的重要性有着成熟的認識。新的執法及網絡安全對話不僅完全延續了先前對話的領域和基本形式，並將該機制上升為中美四大對話機制之一，其重要性和戰略性又得到提升。

首次對話達成的成果令人略感驚訝。雖然成果清單並不長，但一些內容的意義遠大於文字本身。首先，雙方完全接受了奧巴馬任內中美雙方達成的共識。中美雙方一致同意，2015年以來三次對話達成的共識和合作文件依然有效，中美將繼續落實對話達成的共識和承諾，包括對一方提出的協助給予回應、不得支持網絡竊密行為、共同推動制訂國際網絡空間行為準則、保持對話態勢和加強網絡執法溝通等。特朗普政府全盤接受奧巴馬任內的成果並不尋常。上任以來，特朗普總統在氣候變化、貿易、伊核協議等議題上採取了與奧巴馬截然不同的態度，特朗普不再承認很多奧巴馬時期作出的承諾，甚至退出了一些已經加入的協議。中國方面很高興看到特朗普政府在網絡安全議題上並沒有採取這種不認舊賬的消極態度，而是接受了兩國之間的對話基礎。

其次，兩國淡化了網絡議題的政治性和敏感性。奧巴馬任內，由於前任國務卿希拉里的介入，網絡安全議題一度成為中美關係中的重要敏感議題，其影響遠遠超出了網絡安全或網絡犯罪本身，而成為一個帶有政治性的敏感議題。美國媒體不關心網絡安全議題中的真正風險、真正犯罪者和真正受害者，而把注意力放在渲染中美之間可能出現的網絡大戰上，渲染所謂中國黑客威脅論。2015年啟動中美網絡對話後，兩國一直致力於淡化該問題的政治色彩，降低兩國通過對話、互諒解決該議題的難度。本次對話中，中美雙方延續了這一默契，將兩國的合作重點放在網絡詐騙、黑客犯罪、利用網絡實施暴力恐怖活動、網絡傳播兒童淫穢信息等現實問題，不再談及中美網絡安全領域一些難以處理的歷史遺留問題。中美雙方在網絡安全合作上遵循着以結果為導向、注重實際、服務兩國民眾的新原則，這將讓兩國的合作不斷取得實際效果。

最後，兩國藉助網絡對話平台促成了更多領域的切實合作。與之前的打擊網絡犯罪及相關事項對話機制不同，如今的執法及網絡安全對話涉及兩國更為廣泛的執法合作。在該對話機制中，網絡安全是兩國尋求共識、建立默契的一個切入點，兩國也可藉此拓展在更多領域的合作。在本次對話中，中美兩國就禁毒、追逃追贓、遣返非法移民等議題進行深入交流，達成了初步的合作意向。兩國在對話中充分體現出相互尊重、依法對等、坦誠務實的態度，充分照顧了對方的主要關切。針對特朗普上任後提出嚴格管控非法移民，減少在美逗留非法移民的政策主張，中方承諾建立一個成熟可靠的程序，及時核實非法移民身份，並建立辦理使其返回母國的外交手續的快車道。而針對中方關注的追逃追贓問題，美方承諾不成為“避罪天堂”，定期與中方合作建立工作組，解決重點案件的追逃追贓問題。

相比八年前的奧巴馬任期，特朗普任內的中美網絡安全合作無疑有了一個更好的合作基礎、更好的相互理解和更好的輿論氛圍。從某個角度來說，網絡安全合作正在起着奧巴馬任期內氣候變化議題的作用，成為帶動兩國之間更多、更廣泛國際議題合作的支點，成為兩國合作最重要的增長點。此輪對話為兩國這種新的積極態勢奠定了基調，也明確了兩國未來各類對話的指導原則。執法及網絡安全對話結束後，中美新的四個對話機制全面啟動，四項對話都體現出兩國希望對話更加務實、更聚焦於解決實際問題、能帶來更多切實成果的意願。對話更加符合相互尊重、合作共贏的中美新型大國關係主題。執法及網絡安全對話的圓滿啟動顯然讓我們對中美合作有着更高的期待，兩國有可能在更為廣泛的社會治理領域展開深度合作，從根源角度消除中美之間的矛盾和分歧。

The first China-US Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity Dialogue was held on October 4, 2017 in Washington DC. The meeting was co-chaired by Chinese Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun, and US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Acting Secretary for Homeland Security Elaine Duke. The dialogue was one of the four high-level China-US communication mechanisms initiated between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump during the Mar-a-Lago summit in April, and shows the importance attached by the leadership of both nations to this topic. The first round of dialogue proved that China-US cyberspace cooperation has risen to a new level, with both countries committed to tackling problems in this area.

The predecessor of the law enforcement and cybersecurity dialogue was the China-US cybercrime and related issues joint dialogue, which was held by President Xi and President Barack Obama in 2015. Three rounds of fruitful joint dialogues have been held since December 2015, and consensus and agreements have been reached, including on establishing a hotline, cooperating in the fight against cybercrime, and strengthening cooperation in network protection. When Trump became president, there were doubts about whether the mechanism could survive, as many believed he would have no interest in it. However, such doubts were unfounded, because Trump has a mature understanding of the importance of such dialogues. The new dialogue inherited the topics and the basic forms of the previous joint dialogue mechanism, and was upgraded into one of the four high-level communication mechanisms, thus elevating its strategic importance.

The results of this first law enforcement and cybersecurity dialogue were encouraging. First, both sides accepted the consensus reached during the Obama administration as valid and binding, and agreed to continue to implement their pledges, including to respond to requests for assistance made by the other side, not to support online theft, to work together to promote an international cyberspace code of conduct, and to strengthen communication on cyberspace law enforcement. It is surprising the Trump administration fully accepted the consensus and commitments reached with the Obama administration. Trump has broken with his predecessor on issues such as climate change, trade, and the Iranian nuclear deal. China was very happy to note that this was not the case with cybersecurity.

Second, the two countries tried to minimize politics on cybersecurity. During the Obama administration, due to the involvement of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, cybersecurity became at one point a sensitive issue. During that period, the US media did not care about genuine risks, real criminals or real victims, but focused instead on playing up what they considered a potential cyberwar between China and the US, and on the so-called threats from Chinese hackers. After the China-US dialogue on cybercrime and related issues was initiated in 2015, the two have been trying to reduce politics on the issue in order to solve problems through dialogue and understanding. They have cooperated on cyber fraud, hacking, the spread of violence, terrorism, and child obscenity online.

Lastly, the two nations promoted cooperation in other fields, holding discussions and exchanges on narcotics control, the hunting of fugitives, and the repatriation of illegal immigrants. During the dialogue, the two showed mutual respect, equity, frankness, and pragmatism, and gave due consideration to the main concerns of the other side. In response to Trump's policy of strictly controlling illegal immigrants, China promised to establish a mechanism to quickly verify the identities of illegal immigrants and institute fast-track diplomatic procedures for their repatriation. And with regard to fugitives, one of China's major concerns, the US pledged that it would not be a “haven for fugitives”, and would set up working groups with the Chinese side to hunt down and repatriate them.

Compared with the situation during the Obama administration, China-US cybersecurity cooperation during the Trump administration has a more solid foundation. In terms of promoting cooperation on other issues, cybersecurity cooperation is now playing the role that climate change did during the Obama administration. This round of dialogue helped set a positive tone for bilateral cooperation, and helped define the guiding principles for other dialogues in the future. The dialogue mechanism complies with the needs for the construction of major-country relations, which is characterized by mutual respect and win-win cooperation. The successful launch of the law enforcement and cybersecurity dialogue meant that we can have higher expectations for future China-US cooperation.