Party-backed newspaper suggests China get more details from Snowden, not return him to US

BEIJING – A popular Communist Party-backed newspaper is urging China's leadership to get more information from former defense contractor Edward Snowden rather than send him back to the U.S., because his revelations about secret U.S. surveillance programs concern China's national interest.

The Global Times newspaper said in an editorial Friday that the Chinese government should not only consider Beijing's relations with the United States but also domestic public opinion, which the paper says would be unhappy if Snowden were sent back.

The Chinese paper known for nationalist views says Snowden could offer intelligence that can help China update its understanding of cyberspace.

Snowden alleged in an interview with a Hong Kong newspaper that the U.S. National Security Agency's 61,000 hacking targets around the world include hundreds in Hong Kong and mainland China.