Official Chinese Party Newspaper: It Would Tarnish Hong Kong If It Extradited Snowden

"Unlike a common criminal, Snowden did not hurt anybody. His 'crime' is that he blew the whistle on the U.S. government's violation of civil rights,"  said in an editorial the Communist Party's official People's Daily.

"His whistle-blowing is in the global public interest. Therefore, extraditing Snowden back to the U.S. would not only be a betrayal of Snowden's trust, but a disappointment for expectations around the world. The image of Hong Kong would be forever tarnished.", reports Reuters.