"We see this as a setback, in terms of their effort to build relationship, in terms of their effort to build trust," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters, noting that the US does not buy the Chinese argument or that of the Hong Kong authorities that they could not fulfill the American requests in this matter legally.
"With regards to your question about the Chinese government, we are just not buying that this was a technical decision by a Hong Kong immigration official. This 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," Carney said in response to a question.
Hong Kong authorities, he alleged, "deliberately decided" to ignore the American request for a "provisional arrest" of Snowden pending his extradition.
"We believe where he is now. There is ongoing conversation with the authorities about that. We have asked the Russians too look at the options they have with regard to return of Snowden to the United States. It is our understanding that Snowden remains in Russia," he said.
"In light of this, we find their decision to be particularly troubling," Carney said.
"Since June 10, when we learned that Snowden was in Hong Kong, US authorities have been in continual contact with their Hong Kong counterparts at the working and senior levels. (The US) Attorney General Eric Holder placed a phone call on June 19 with his counterpart, the Hong Kong secretary of justice, stressing the importance of the matter and urging Hong Kong to honor our request for Snowden's arrest," he said.