海角大神

Since NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed 10 days ago that he was hiding out in Hong Kong, the Chinese government has pointedly refused to say if it intends to do anything about him.

Officials here are silent for a reason, explains Zhu Feng, a noted international affairs analyst. 鈥淪nowden is too hot to handle,鈥� he says. 鈥淏eijing would seem to have very few options.鈥�

So far, the government has treated Mr. Snowden鈥檚 fate as anybody鈥檚 business but China鈥檚. Beyond denying that the former National Security Agency employee is a Chinese spy, Foreign Ministry spokespeople have built a wall of 鈥渘o comment鈥� around his case.

Official government and ruling Communist Party media have ignored the question of how Snowden鈥檚 situation should be handled, though they have published many articles accusing Washington of cyber-hypocrisy. The authorities here clearly relish Snowden鈥檚 revelations of widespread official US telephone and Internet surveillance; they have taken some of the sting out of US accusations that China harbors the world鈥檚 worst hackers.

鈥淭he one party who always blames others for hacking attacks turns out to be worse than all the rest,鈥� charged the Communist Party鈥檚 official organ, the People鈥檚 Daily, in a commentary on Wednesday. 鈥淗enceforth, who will believe those accusations?鈥�

China could intervene

On the legal front, Beijing could intervene in Snowden鈥檚 fate if the United States lodged an extradition request with the Hong Kong authorities, even though the former British colony鈥檚 legal system is independent of mainland China.

Washington鈥檚 extradition treaty with Hong Kong, agreed in 1996, allows Hong Kong鈥檚 Chief Executive to reject an extradition request if surrendering a fugitive might implicate 鈥渢he defense, foreign affairs or essential public interest or policy鈥� of the central government in Beijing.

Since Beijing is responsible for Hong Kong鈥檚 foreign affairs and defense, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying would be bound to take Beijing鈥檚 guidance on such a question.

But the chances that Beijing would thwart a US extradition request are slim,聽because of the potential fallout in China鈥檚 relations with the United States, say analysts here.

鈥淚 think there is very little likelihood that Beijing would attempt to intervene in any extradition process,鈥� says Professor Zhu. 鈥淚t would create big tensions between Beijing and Washington and China has no taste for that鈥� just as President Xi Jinping is seeking to put the bilateral relationship on a firmer footing.

Coming so soon after the summit meeting in California between President Xi and President Obama, which officials on both sides say went well, 鈥渢his issue is more of a headache than an opportunity,鈥� says Jia Qingguo, deputy head of the School of International Studies at Peking University. 鈥淲e want to move on.

鈥淢y hunch is that the government will not say anything one way or the other鈥� about Snowden鈥檚 future, he says. 鈥淭hey will just respect the decision of the Hong Kong court.鈥�

Snowden has said he chose Hong Kong as a refuge because its tradition of the rule of law offered him protection, and hinted that he intends to fight any US extradition attempt in the courts.

Hong Kong鈥檚 top official, Leung Chin-ying, said Saturday that his government would 鈥渉andle the case of Mr. Snowden in accordance with the laws and established procedures of Hong Kong.鈥�

鈥淭he Chinese government is staying out of this and not taking a position,鈥� says Su Hao, who teaches at Chinese Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. 鈥淚t seems the most reasonable way to manage the issue.鈥澛�