State-run China Daily points to countries' 'soured relationship' on cybersecurity and suggests huge surveillance net is unjustified
China has warned that revelations of electronic surveillance on a huge scale by American intelligence agency the NSA will "test developing Sino-US ties" and exacerbate their "soured relationship" on cybersecurity.
The assessment in an article and editorial carried by the state-run China Daily represents the first official comment in state media as China grapples with the presence in Hong Kong of Edward Snowden, the US analyst who revealed himself as the source of the Guardian exposé.
Quoting analysts, the China Daily said the "massive US global surveillance programme … is certain to stain Washington's overseas image" and pointedly referred to Washington recently levelling claims of hacking at other governments, including China's.
"Observers said how the case is handled could pose a challenge to the burgeoning goodwill between Beijing and Washington given that Snowden is in Chinese territory and the Sino-US relationship is constantly soured on cybersecurity," the paper said.
Li Haidon, a researcher of American studies at the China Foreign Affairs University, was quoted as saying: "For months Washington has been accusing China of cyber-espionage but it turns out that the biggest threat to the pursuit of individual freedom and privacy in the US is the unbridled power of the government."
The report gave no indication of what tack Beijing might take on Snowden's stated intention of fighting extradition from Hong Kong, which is Chinese territory but has a separate legal system. It is unclear whether or not authorities on the mainland would intervene over any US attempt to extradite Snowden. The paper referred only to Russia's offer to consider an asylum request. It added that Hong Kong supporters of Snowden would stage a protest march to the US consulate on Saturday afternoon.
Zhang Tuosheng, a researcher at the China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies, was quoted as saying that if the US and China were able to successfully handle the case it would form "an influential precedent between the two countries, since there has been a lack of international regulations in the area of global Internet security".
A China Daily an editorial under the headline "Unjustified US intelligence" said controversy over US drone strikes had already forced [Barack] Obama to "readjust this widely maligned policy" and suggested the NSA revelations demanded a similar response of the US president.
"This is not the first time that US government agencies' wrongdoings have aroused widespread public concern since the US launched a series of counterterrorism policies to enhance national security after the terrorist attacks on Sept 11 2001," the paper said.
"The Obama administration needs to convince the American people as well as global internet users that the spying is a must and helps in a direct way to safeguard public safety from clear and present dangers.
"But it will have difficulty in doing so, as the bombing of the Boston marathon provides ready proof of the fact that extremists and terrorists, even when working alone, can inflict a heavy blow despite all the efforts that have been made globally to rein in terrorism.
"The Obama administration may want to adjust the boundaries of its counterterrorism policies so that infringements on individual rights are not as expansive." Reported by guardian.co.uk 1 day ago.
China has warned that revelations of electronic surveillance on a huge scale by American intelligence agency the NSA will "test developing Sino-US ties" and exacerbate their "soured relationship" on cybersecurity.
The assessment in an article and editorial carried by the state-run China Daily represents the first official comment in state media as China grapples with the presence in Hong Kong of Edward Snowden, the US analyst who revealed himself as the source of the Guardian exposé.
Quoting analysts, the China Daily said the "massive US global surveillance programme … is certain to stain Washington's overseas image" and pointedly referred to Washington recently levelling claims of hacking at other governments, including China's.
"Observers said how the case is handled could pose a challenge to the burgeoning goodwill between Beijing and Washington given that Snowden is in Chinese territory and the Sino-US relationship is constantly soured on cybersecurity," the paper said.
Li Haidon, a researcher of American studies at the China Foreign Affairs University, was quoted as saying: "For months Washington has been accusing China of cyber-espionage but it turns out that the biggest threat to the pursuit of individual freedom and privacy in the US is the unbridled power of the government."
The report gave no indication of what tack Beijing might take on Snowden's stated intention of fighting extradition from Hong Kong, which is Chinese territory but has a separate legal system. It is unclear whether or not authorities on the mainland would intervene over any US attempt to extradite Snowden. The paper referred only to Russia's offer to consider an asylum request. It added that Hong Kong supporters of Snowden would stage a protest march to the US consulate on Saturday afternoon.
Zhang Tuosheng, a researcher at the China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies, was quoted as saying that if the US and China were able to successfully handle the case it would form "an influential precedent between the two countries, since there has been a lack of international regulations in the area of global Internet security".
A China Daily an editorial under the headline "Unjustified US intelligence" said controversy over US drone strikes had already forced [Barack] Obama to "readjust this widely maligned policy" and suggested the NSA revelations demanded a similar response of the US president.
"This is not the first time that US government agencies' wrongdoings have aroused widespread public concern since the US launched a series of counterterrorism policies to enhance national security after the terrorist attacks on Sept 11 2001," the paper said.
"The Obama administration needs to convince the American people as well as global internet users that the spying is a must and helps in a direct way to safeguard public safety from clear and present dangers.
"But it will have difficulty in doing so, as the bombing of the Boston marathon provides ready proof of the fact that extremists and terrorists, even when working alone, can inflict a heavy blow despite all the efforts that have been made globally to rein in terrorism.
"The Obama administration may want to adjust the boundaries of its counterterrorism policies so that infringements on individual rights are not as expansive." Reported by guardian.co.uk 1 day ago.