How Snowden has been good for Hong Kong
But his flight to Moscow on Sunday has shown that the Hong Kong government has gumption.
Meanwhile, the HKSAR Government has formally written to the US Government requesting clarification on earlier reports about the hacking of computer systems in Hong Kong by US government agencies. The HKSAR Government will continue to follow up on the matter so as to protect the legal rights of the people of Hong Kong.
Others also gave the government credit for the statement's wording in pointing out that it was looking for answers about US hacking on computer systems in Hong Kong.
The Atlantic also noted that:
This defiance of the United States, with which Hong Kong had negotiated an extradition treaty, is extraordinary and somewhat unexpected.
Snowden's arrival in the city gave Hong Kong a rare place in the global geopolitical spotlight and ushered in near-unprecedented political solidarity as pan-democrats and Beijing loyalists lined up to take a shot at an unlikely target: the United States.
Lau notes that many of the city’s lawmakers - Beijing-loyalists and pan-democrats - came together to criticise the US government on the cyberspying allegations.