Hillary Clinton faults China on NSA leaker flight

Says US-China relationship damaged over Snowden fleeing

Hillary Rodham Clinton said that China damaged its relationship with the US by allowing National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden to flee from Hong Kong, despite a US request to arrest him for extradition.

"That kind of action is not only detrimental to the US-China relationship but it sets a bad precedent that could unravel the intricate international agreements about how countries respect the laws and particularly the extradition treaties," the former secretary of state and possible 2016 presidential contender told an audience in Los Angeles yesterday.

Clinton's remarks echoed criticism from White House officials that Hong Kong's refusal to detain Snowden had "unquestionably" hurt relations between the two countries.

Hong Kong has a high degree of autonomy from the rest of China, although experts believe Beijing probably orchestrated Snowden's exit in an effort to remove an irritant in relations with the US.

Clinton said the former CIA employee engaged in "outrageous behaviour" by releasing sensitive documents that he contends show privacy violations by an authoritarian government. Snowden is now in Russia, and the White House wants him sent to the US to face espionage charges.