The Chinese state media is demanding an explanation from the Obama government over reports of the alleged hacking of computers in China by the U.S. administration although the Chinese government is keeping quiet over the issue.
Speaking to a packed media gathering in Beijing Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying refused to comment on the leaks by former CIA employee Edward Snowden in which the U.S. whistleblower said that the United States had hacked into "hundreds" of targets in Hong Kong as well as mainland China since 2009.
"On Snowden's case, we have noticed relevant report but unfortunately we have no information to offer," Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing.
Reacting to Snowden's allegations of U.S. National Security Agency's policy of monitoring the phone calls, internet data and hacking into foreign computers, Chinese State run newspaper China Daily ran a large cartoon of a shadowed statue of liberty that holds a tape recorder and microphone in place of a tablet and torch.
Demanding an explanation from the Obama administration, the Chinese Communist Party run Global Times said that Washington owes an explanation to China before silencing Snowden who leaked that Washington hacks into Chinese computers.
"Before Snowden is silenced, Washington owes China an explanation of whether the U.S. as an Internet superpower abused its power over our vital interests,'' noted Global Times.
A pro-Communist Party newspaper in Hong Kong demanded an "apology" from the U.S. president regarding NSA leaks.
"If the U.S. is the true defender of democracy, human rights and freedom like it always described itself ... President Obama should sincerely apologize to the people from other countries whose privacy was violated," said the pro-Communist party newspaper.
Edward Snowden is hiding in Hong Kong in fear of possible prosecution from the U.S. government.
In recent months, Washington had accused the Beijing government of hacking into U.S. computers and stealing confidential information from the U.S. government and business firms.
Beijing has constantly denied the accusations saying China itself is a victim of foreign cyber attacks.
