Beijing 'will be very discreet' in dealing with HK over Snowden case

[flamingdem]

* translation: Snowden is chopped suey before the July meeting in Washington

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1260590/beijing-will-not-exploit-snowden-case-says-senior-foreign-policy-adviser

"China has no interest in turning this into a political case," he said. "These things happen every day and both sides know about it. There is nothing new to this case. Politicising it would make both sides lose."

In a veiled objection to possible extradition, a commentary in the Global Times yesterday said China should not let people think Snowden had chosen the wrong place by seeking refuge in Hong Kong, otherwise others with valuable information would not consider Hong Kong as a refuge in the future. "We should make sure the outcome of the Snowden (case) is not too bad," it said.

Still, analysts said, Snowden's revelations would complicate recently improved relations between China and the United States, with an early test likely at the China-US strategic and economic dialogue in Washington from July 8 to 12.

Vice-Premier Wang Yang and State Councillor Yang Jiechi will head the Chinese delegation in meetings with US counterparts led by Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Secretary of State John Kerry.
"The incident will definitely have some negative effect, or at least create an unfavourable atmosphere for the upcoming economic and strategic talks if it cannot be solved smoothly beforehand," Shi Yinhong , director of Renmin University's Centre of American Studies, said.

[flamingdem]

1. More about what Hong Kong/Beijing may do next -

Ex-CIA Whistleblower Edward Snowden’s Fate in China’s Hands

"I think it is really tragic that an American has to move to a place that has a reputation for less freedom," he told The Guardian. "Hong Kong has a reputation for freedom in spite of the People's Republic of China. It has a strong tradition of free speech."

What may be more important than this tradition, which persists under Beijing’s sovereignty, is the extradition treaty signed by the U.S. and Hong Kong in 1997 just before mainland rule recommenced.
Under the treaty, both countries have the right to refuse to hand over fugitives. Complicating matters, Beijing retains the right to veto Hong Kong's decision to return a criminal if the Chinese government deems the surrender of a particular criminal as being harmful to China in any way. In other words, the decision as to whether to return Snowden to the U.S. depends on America's foremost Pacific rival, China.

Of Snowden’s real motives for choosing Hong Kong, Josh Marshall argued on his Talking Points Memo blog that even if Snowden leaked the documents because he thought it was the right thing to do, “he still seems to be hoping to evade the criminal consequences by defecting to China, a key US rival and one that comes up rather short of being the kind of libertarian and transparent society Snowden apparently believes in.”

Marshall continued, "Call me naive but I think this is going to come down to how Beijing wants to play this. If they don't want a fight over this, Snowden's toast."

http://thediplomat.com/the-editor/2013/06/10/ex-cia-whistleblower-edward-snowdens-fate-in-chinas-hands/

[aquart]

2. If I were Obama, I'd ask China to keep him.

Just the thought of a Snowden trial makes me queasy.

[flamingdem]

3. I didn't think of that

good point.

But it looks like something must be decided before the July meeting.

I wonder what kind of compromise is in the works.