The United States told China it was upset it did not hand over US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden after he fled to Hong Kong, saying that the decision had undermined relations.
President Barack Obama, meeting senior Chinese officials who were in Washington for annual wide-ranging talks, "expressed his disappointment and concern" over the Snowden case, the White House said in a statement Thursday.
Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, one of the main US officials in the talks, said Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed at their summit last month at the California resort of Sunnylands to cooperate over problems.
"That is why we were very 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," Burns said.
"We have made clear that China's handling of this case was not consistent with the spirit of Sunnylands or with the type of relationship -- the new model -- that we both seek to build," Burns said at a joint press event.
Snowden, a former government contractor, fled the United States for Hong Kong after revealing details of pervasive US intelligence surveillance on the Internet. The United States sought his extradition to face charges.
But Snowden was allowed to leave Hong Kong, a territory of China that enjoys a large amount of autonomy, for Russia.
Since arriving in Russia on June 23, Snowden has been stuck in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport as he seeks a way to get to a country that will offer him asylum.
State Councilor Yang Jiechi, speaking next to Burns, defended decisions on Snowden, whose allegations of US snooping in Chinese Internet networks caused a stir in Beijing.
"The central government of China has always respected the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's handling of cases in accordance with the law," he said.
Hong Kong "handled the Snowden case in accordance with the law and its approach is beyond reproach", said Yang, a central figure in Chinese foreign policy.
Beijing's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying reiterated Yang's comments at a regular briefing Friday and told reporters: "The SAR government's handling of the Snowden case according to law is beyond reproach and all parties should respect that." SAR refers to Hong Kong.
"The Americans are just trying to save face," said Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo, dismissing the rebuke from Washington as "diplomatic talk".
"The Chinese didn't exactly invite Snowden to come to Hong Kong," Mo told AFP.
Hong Kong executive council member Bernard Chan was also critical of Washington, saying "Hong Kong and China were not the ones at fault".
"It was the US, not Hong Kong, that decided to operate a global electronic spying operation, which even some Americans now believe is out of control," Chan wrote in the South China Morning Post.
"It was the US, not Hong Kong, that decided directly or via outsourcing to use the services of a young man who turned out to be disloyal."
Earlier Thursday, Russia's Interfax news agency said the US had stopped pressing Russia to extradite Snowden, quoting a source close to the situation.
"There has not been any request either through official or unofficial channels for several days now," the source told the agency.
Snowden has applied for asylum in 27 countries.
Although many of them have already turned down his request, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offered "humanitarian asylum" to Snowden last week.
But the country's foreign Minister Elias Jaua told AFP on Thursday that Snowden had yet to accept his country's offer.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Mercosur trade bloc summit in Montevideo, he said his government had had no contact with Snowden.
Earlier, Jaua said that Mercosur leaders, when they meet on Friday, would release a resolution denouncing the diversion of the jet carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales home from Moscow last week.
Morales, who accused four European nations -- France, Italy, Portugal and Spain -- of denying their airspace because they believed Snowden was hiding on his plane, has been invited to the Mercosur summit.
AFP
Fri Jul 12 2013
_War on Sugar__ Kadar duti eksais bagi minuman bergula secara berfasa
Hasil yang diraih akan dimanfaatkan untuk menampung perbelanjaan kesihatan awam meliputi penambahan bekalan ubat rawatan diabetes dan rawatan pinggang tahap akhir #Belanjawan2025
#Belanjawan25
#Belanjawan25
Belanjawan 2025 keterangkuman semua kumpulan rakyat dalam negara
Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi berkata menyifatkan Belanjawan 2025 merangkum semua kumpulan rakyat dalam negara.
#Belanjawan2025
#Belanjawan25
#Belanjawan2025
#Belanjawan25
Skim Ex-Gratia Bencana Kerja akan diperluas dan dipermudah - PM
Kata PM lebih RM1.8 bilion ringgit disediakan bagi membina, menyelenggara dan membaik pulih semua kuarters penjawat awam.
Belanjawan 2025: Kesejahteraan penduduk rumah mampu milik dapat perhatian, ini usaha kerajaan
Rumah strata kos rendah dan sederhana awam diselenggara termasuk mengganti lif-lif usang dengan peruntukan hampir 200 juta ringgit.
RM560 juta disediakan untuk memperkasa sempadan negara
Menurut PM isu Laut China Selatan perlu diselesaikan di meja rundingan dan kerajaan kekal dengan pendirian bahawa ini boleh ditangani secara aman.
#Belanjawan2025
#Belanjawan25
#Belanjawan2025
#Belanjawan25
Belanjawan 2025 junjung hak rakyat - Fadillah
Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof menyifatkan Belanjawan 2025 fokus kepada rakyat.
"Berpaksi kepada rakyat, mengangkat martabat rakyat dan menjunjung hak rakyat," katanya.
#Belanjawan2025
#Belanjawan25
"Berpaksi kepada rakyat, mengangkat martabat rakyat dan menjunjung hak rakyat," katanya.
#Belanjawan2025
#Belanjawan25
TVET_ HRDCorp, Khazanah, GiatMARA, PERKESO turut dipertingkat
Khazanah menyediakan 200 juta ringgit melalui Program
Pembangunan Belia Khazanah (K-Youth) bagi membekalkan
11 ribu bakat tempatan kepada sektor utama seperti
semikonduktor #Belanjawan2025
#Belanjawan25
Pembangunan Belia Khazanah (K-Youth) bagi membekalkan
11 ribu bakat tempatan kepada sektor utama seperti
semikonduktor #Belanjawan2025
#Belanjawan25
KDN, MINDEF masing-masing terima RM19.5 bilion dan RM21.2 bilion
Kata PM, maruah dan kedaulatan negara perlu terus terpelihara daripada sebarang ancaman. Keharmonian dikecapi selama ini tidak boleh diganggu-gugat.
Belanjawan 2025: Ini 12 inisiatif penting untuk usahawan
Dengan landskap ekonomi yang semakin mencabar, kerajaan memperkenalkan pelbagai langkah untuk memastikan usahawan kekal relevan, berdaya saing, dan mampu berkembang di peringkat tempatan serta global.
“Kepada cinta aku bertanya…” - PM
PM berpuisi dengan tajuk kepada cinta sebagai akhirulkalam pembentangan #Belanjawan2025.
Hong Kong siasat kematian sembilan monyet di zoo
Kematian sembilan ekor monyet dalam beberapa hari di sebuah zoo di Hong Kong, mendorong siasatan dijalankan untuk mengetahui puncanya, lapor United Press International (UPI).
Pos Hong Kong keluar setem peringatan ulang tahun ke-150 Kesatuan Pos Sedunia
Pos Hong Kong akan keluarkan helaian setem dan produk filateli bertemakan 'Ulang Tahun ke-150 UPU' bagi memperingati hari istimewa itu.
Lawatan kerja Azalina ke Hong Kong berjaya teroka era baharu kerjasama
Lawatan kerja Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said ke Hong Kong baru-baru ini berjaya meneroka era baharu kerjasama dalam sektor undang-undang.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
ARC 2024: Skuad Bunga Raya akur kehebatan Hong Kong
Skuad ragbi Bunga Raya 15 sebelah (15's) negara mengalami kekalahan besar buat kali kedua berturut-turut pada saingan ARC 2024 selepas tumbang kepada Hong Kong.
14 aktivis Hong Kong disabitkan kesalahan bawah undang-undang keselamatan negara
Empat belas tokoh pembangkang Hong Kong pada Khamis telah disabitkan kesalahan di bawah undang-undang keselamatan negara, lapor Agensi Berita Jerman (dpa) memetik laporan South China Morning Post.
Piala Thomas: 'Kemenangan ke atas Hong Kong lonjak keyakinan' - Jun Hao
Kem perseorangan negara Piala Thomas 2024 berjaya membuktikan kemampuan mereka, sekurang-kurangnya selepas mengetepikan pemain Hong Kong dalam aksi pembukaan Kumpulan D hari ini.
Piala Thomas: Leong Jun Hao lakar kebangkitan, pastikan kemenangan Malaysia!
Leong Jun Hao melakar kebangkitan memastikan Malaysia memperoleh kemenangan ke atas wakil Hong Kong, Angus Ng Ka Long.
Thomas Cup: Zii Jia ketepikan 'kegoyahan' kem perseorangan lelaki negara
Lee Zii Jia tidak mahu terlalu memikirkan situasi kem perseorangan negara yang kurang mantap menjelang aksi pembukaan Kumpulan D saingan Piala Thomas 2024 berdepan Hong Kong, esok.