China and US wage war of words over Snowden's flight from Hong Kong

China rebuked the United States on Tuesday for accusing it of facilitating the flight of fugitive US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, and said suggestions that it had done so were “baseless and unacceptable”.

The remarks from the Chinese foreign ministry and earlier comments from state media have underscored the strain in ties between the two countries since Snowden, who is wanted by the US government on charges of espionage, fled Hong Kong on Sunday.

The White House said the decision by the Chinese territory to allow Snowden to leave was “a deliberate choice by the government to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant, and that decision unquestionably has a negative impact on the US-China relationship”.

China rejected the accusation.

“The US side has no reason to call into question the Hong Kong government’s handling of affairs [which were done] according to law,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing. “The United States’ criticism of China’s central government is baseless. China absolutely cannot accept it.”