China Said to Have Made Call to Let Leaker Depart

[ProSense]

China Said to Have Made Call to Let Leaker Depart

By JANE PERLEZ and KEITH BRADSHER

BEIJING — The Chinese government made the final decision to allow Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor, to leave Hong Kong on Sunday, a move that Beijing believed resolved a tough diplomatic problem even as it reaped a publicity windfall from Mr. Snowden’s disclosures, according to people familiar with the situation.

Hong Kong authorities have insisted that their judicial process remained independent of China, but these observers — who like many in this article spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk freely about confidential discussions — said that matters of foreign policy are the domain of the Chinese government, and Beijing exercised that authority in allowing Mr. Snowden to go.

From China’s point of view, analysts said, the departure of Mr. Snowden solved two concerns: how to prevent Beijing’s relationship with the United States from being ensnared in a long legal wrangle in Hong Kong over Mr. Snowden, and how to deal with a Chinese public that widely regards the American computer expert as a hero.

<...>

The Chinese government was pleased that Mr. Snowden disclosed the extent of American surveillance of Internet and telephone conversations around the world, giving the Chinese people a chance to talk about what they describe as American hypocrisy regarding surveillance practices...But in the longer term, China’s overall relationship with the United States, which spans global economic, military and security issues, was more important than the feelings of the public in China and Hong Kong, who felt that the contractor should be protected from the reach of the United States, analysts said.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/24/world/asia/china-said-to-have-made-call-to-let-leaker-depart.html

Maybe Hong Kong is simply relieved to be rid of Snowden
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023077695

[name not needed]

1. Looks like the Chinese are covering their asses.

They didn't want to extradite Snowden, but they didn't feel like protecting him either.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Shocking, I tell ya

[ProSense]

4. OMG-gate. n/t

[geek tragedy]

3. Shocking! nt

[Cha]

5. Yeah, I bet the Chinese were "pleased that Mr Snowden(cough traitor)

disclosed the extent of American surveillance of Inernet and telephone conversations around the world giving the Chinese people a chance to talk about what they describe as American hypocrisy regarding surveillance practices...But in the longer term, China’s overall relationship with the United States, which spans global economic, military and security issues, was more important than the feelings of the public in China and Hong Kong, who felt that the contractor should be protected from the reach of the United States.."

Go China.. now it's Go Russia and you Snowden Libertarians have Matt Drudge rooting with you for Putin..

GOPathetic @GOPathetic

So, Matt @Drudge is now rooting for Putin over his own country. Keep it classy. https://twitter.com/drudge/status https://twitter.com/drudge/status/348812517356748800

And, Rand Paul giving your boy advice..

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), one of the few public officials sympathetic toward Edward Snowden, warned the national security leaker on Sunday not to cut deals or cozy up to any government at the risk of losing credibility.

"I do think, for Mr. Snowden, if he cozies up to the Russian government, it will be nothing but bad for his name in history," said Paul on CNN's "State of the Union." "If he goes to an independent third country like Iceland and if he refuses to talk to any sort of formal government about this, I think there's a chance that he'll be seen as an advocate of privacy. If he cozies up to either the Russian government, the Chinese government, or any of these governments that are perceived still as enemies of ours, I think that will be a real problem for him in history."

Paul has been one of a few public officials to praise Snowden for leaking material on the National Security Agency's surveillance operations. And despite warning Snowden not to work with the Russian or Chinese governments, Paul continued on Sunday to argue that history would judge the leaks kindly.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/23/rand-paul-snowden_n_3486455.html

[JI7]

6. did people actually think otherwise ?

[ProSense]

7. No one will admit it. n/t