Snowden called 'an American hero' on Sina Weibo after being charged
Contrasting internet reactions emerge after US charges former CIA employee with espionage
A variety of strong opinions from Chinese and western commentators emerged on the internet on Saturday - after US authorities formally charged Edward Snowden with espionage, theft and the sharing of classified information.
The legitimacy of the US stance was also questioned. “Espionage?” one blogger asked. “What country was he providing spy services for? It’s all too unclear; extraditing him is only going to make things worse.”
Many people expressed pessimism about Snowden’s chances of remaining in Hong Kong now that charges have been filed. “I think the mainland and Hong Kong governments will give him up,” one post said. “Brother Snowden, you came to the wrong place. The people here don’t have any convictions. If you go against their interests, they’ll definitely sacrifice you."
“So, politicians are just the same as businessmen,” another wrote. “Except the worse thing about them is that they make trades over countries and people.”
A few commentators argued that it was natural for the US to want to track down Snowden.