China today kept mum on US whistleblower Edward Snowden’s attempts to take refuge in Hong Kong but took a moral high ground accusing Washington of “double standards” citing his allegations that it has been conducting hacking attacks on China for years.
“Unfortunately I have no information right now to provide to you,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, told a packed media briefing here today declining to reveal how Beijing plans to deal with Snowden.
The former US government subcontractor, who exposed massive US phone and Internet spying, has delivered a propaganda coup of sorts for China to counter US’ persistent allegations of Chinese hacking attacks.
“On Snowden’s case, we have noticed relevant report but unfortunately we have no information to offer,” she said.
While stonewalling all questions on his possible extradition, Hua, took a dig at Washington reminding the media how Beijing was complaining of hacker attacks from US for long.
In his interview to the Hong Kong based South China Morning Post from a “secret location in the city”, the 29-year-old former CIA analyst made claims that the US government had been hacking into computers in Hong Kong and on the mainland for years.
Snowden said that according to unverified documents, US’ National Security Agency had been hacking computers in Hong Kong and in China since 2009.
None of the documents revealed any information about Chinese military systems, he said referring to reports of Chinese military involvement in carrying out cyber attacks.
One of the targets in Hong Kong according to Snowden, was Chinese University and public officials, businesses and students in the city.