Post date: Jul 12, 2013 12:14:48 PM
Speaking at a joint news conference senior U.S. and Chinese officials sharply disagree over China's handling of the case of former U.S. spy agency contractorEdward Snowden in remarks at the conclusion of bilateral talks in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES (JULY 11, 2013) (RESTRICTED POOL) - The United States said it was disappointed Thursday (July 11) in China's conduct, after Hong Kong allowed Snowden to leave its territory, a sign of a rift between the world's two biggest economies.
In remarks after high-level political and economic talks, the United States said it was disappointed that Chinese authorities did not send Snowden, on the run in Hong Kong, back to face U.S. justice."We were disappointed with how the authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong handled the Snowden case, which undermined our effort to build the trust needed to manage difficult issues," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said.
China's State Councilor Yang Jiechi said Hong Kong's actions were in accordance with the law. "Its approach is beyond reproach," he said about the decision to not detain Snowden.
"With regard to the Snowden case, the Central Government of China has always respected the Hong Kong SAR government's handling of cases in accordance with law. The Hong Kong SAR government has handled the Snowden case in accordance with law, and its approach is beyond reproach," he said about Hong Kong.
The disagreement soured the two-day U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue meetings in Washington.
Snowden left Hong Kong for Moscow, where he is believed to be stuck in the transit area of the city's international airport, amid speculation he might board a flight to travel to Latin America where he has been offered asylum.
The U.S. government has charged Snowden with disclosing details about secret U.S. surveillance programs the Obama administration considers vital for national security.