White House: Release of Snowden hurts relations with China

June 24, 2013 at 5:05PM
White House press secretary Jay Carney pauses during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, June 24, 2013.
White House press secretary Jay Carney pauses during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, June 24, 2013. (Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

WASHINGTON — The White House says it is "not buying" that the decision by Hong Kong authorities to let admitted leaker Edward Snowden leave for Russia was a technical decision. It says it was a deliberate choice to release a fugitive and that "unquestionably" damages U.S.-China relations.

White House spokesman Jay Carney says the U.S. assumes that Snowden is now in Russia and that the White House now expects Russian authorities to look at all the options available to them to expel Snowden to face charges in the U.S. for releasing secret surveillance information.

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