Extraditing Snowden Would Be a Mistake (Global Times, China)
If Washington is hoping China will extradite Edward Snowden, it may have a long wait. According to this editorial from China's
state-run Global Times, the only 'crime' Snowden committed was to 'blow the whistle
on the U.S. government's violation of civil rights,' and to return him would be
a 'face-losing outcome' for both Hong Kong and China, and would disappoint global public
opinion.
More
than 20 civic organizations in Hong Kong held a demonstration last weekend to
support Edward Snowden, the former CIA employee and whistleblower. Hong Kong Chief
Executive Leung Chun-ying has said that his government
will handle the case "according to the laws and established procedures of
Hong Kong." A poll initiated by the South
China Morning Post shows that more than half of Hong Kongers
surveyed oppose extraditing Snowden. Beijing, however, has yet to make an
explicit statement.
Washington
must be grinding its teeth, because Snowden's revelations have nearly ruined
America's image as defender of a free Internet. After losing that asset, which
has been abused by the U.S. government to boss others around, the chances that it
won't want Snowden to be extradited are nil.
However,
if Snowden were extradited, it would be a face-losing outcome for both the government
of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and China's central government.
Unlike a common criminal, Snowden hurt no one. His "crime" is that he
blew the whistle on the U.S. government's violation of civil rights. His action
supported "human rights" as defined by the U.N. Charter, and has been
applauded around the world.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
Snowden
believes in Hong Kong democracy and freedom and his whistle-blowing is in the
global public interest. Therefore, extraditing Snowden would not only be a
betrayal of Snowden's trust, but a disappointment for expectations around the
world. The image of Hong Kong would be forever tarnished.
Diplomatically,
Snowden has cast a shadow over renewed Sino-U.S. relations, just after the meeting
between President Xi and Obama. The sooner the incident is wrapped up, the
better ties between the two countries will be.
Cyber
attacks, a weapon the U.S. government frequently uses, have turned into its own
Achilles' heel. China is generous enough not to hype the incident in
consideration of Sino-U.S. relations, but China's government bears no
responsibility for helping the U.S. quench the fire.
Sino-U.S.
ties have some inherent flexibility. On the one hand, pressured by public
opinion, Washington must have made preparations in the event it fails to have Snowden
extradited. On the other, Beijing must demonstrate that it can't be pushed according
to Washington's wishes.
The
consequences of extraditing Snowden would be more troublesome than the
alternative, because the local reaction would bring added difficulty to both
Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.
China's
growing power is attracting asylum seekers to China. That is unavoidable and
should be used to accumulate moral standing.
The
"no comment" attitude of China's central government and the ambiguous
statements of the Hong Kong administration are the proper reactions. China should
follow public opinion and safeguard its own interests.
