China seeks explanation of US surveillance programme

China today joined the growing international chorus in demanding an explanation from the US over its controversial surveillance programmes which had collected troves of information by tracking millions of telephone records and Internet activity globally.
"We believe that the US side should pay attention to concerns and demand of international community and public over this issue and give a necessary explanation," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters here.
She made the remarks when asked whether China has sought explanation from the US as some countries like Germany and Japan have demanded details on its National Security Agency's PRISM surveillance programmes.

India has also taken up with the US the reports that it was the fifth most tracked country by the American intelligence using a secret data-mining programme to monitor worldwide Internet data and sought further details in this regard.
China also refuted the allegations as "groundless" that former US intelligence contractor and CIA employee Edward Snowden spied for it before defecting to Hong Kong, as state media called for his asylum saying that his extradition would result in "loss of face" for Beijing.
"I think it is completely groundless," Hua said, dismissing allegations by former US Vice President Dick Cheney that Snowden could be spying for Beijing.

Cheney told US television that he was "deeply suspicious" about Snowden as the CIA employee.

Snowden, who had also alleged US cyber attacks on China thus reinforcing Beijing's claims, chose to go to Hong Kong, the former British colony which functioned under the Chinese government though it has some administrative autonomy.
The 29-year-old former CIA employee defected to Hong Kong on May 20 and since then has given media interviews reinforcing China's allegations in the past that it was a victim of hacker attacks from the US.
"That's not a place where you ordinarily want to go if you're interested in freedom, and liberty and so forth," Cheney told US television channels.

"So, it raises questions whether or not he had that kind of connection before he did this," he said.
So far China has not officially commented about Snowden's entry into Hong Kong other than saying that it has taken note of the reports.
About demonstration in Hong Kong against extradition of Snowden to the US, Hua said China has taken note of the reports in this regard.
The US has launched a criminal investigation into Snowden, but has yet to file a formal extradition request to Hong Kong authorities.
Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the US, but Snowden argues that his defection was more of apolitical reasons not criminal as stated in the extradition treaty.