Michigan Republican Rep. Mike Rogers said that China's role is questionable in light of Edward Snowden's leaking NSA secret intelligence and his subsequent fleeing to Hong Kong despite its extradition treaty with US.
Defending the NSA spy programme as an essential and life saving tool in the war on terrorism, Rogers said that Snowden is a traitor and not a hero, Washington Times reports.
Rogers further slammed Snowden and said that he grabbed up the information, made preparations to flee to China and bolted there.
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough defended the snooping programme said that it is crucial to protect the American people and there is a need to strike right balance between privacy and security.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney said that Snowden has committed crimes and his choosing Hong Kong to escape the US extradition is suspicious as no one would choose the place if interested in freedom of speech.
According to the report, Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 but has some features of statehood, including an extradition treaty with the U.S., a pact China itself doesn't have. But Beijing has the right to veto extraditions on national security and diplomatic grounds.
Cheney further said that US needs to be 'very aggressive' with Hong Kong over Snowden return, the report added.