China's Xinhua says US risks own security by spying on allies

Iran Press TV

Sat Nov 2, 2013 4:29PM GMT

Amid rising tensions over the US National Security Agency's widespread eavesdropping programs, China's official Xinhua news agency says the United States is endangering its own security by spying on its allies.

'The sole superpower's spying saga is spicy on a heart-attack scale. It is particularly hurtful to those supposed to trust America the most - its allies,' Xinhua said on Friday in an English-language commentary, peppered with colorful language.

'What is counter-intuitive in the NSA forage is its nonsensical approach: relentless and indiscriminate like a vacuum cleaner. It just bugs everybody, even its closest allies in Europe,' it added.

'Ironically enough, the bugging undermines the very thing it is supposed to protect - national security. As America pins its security on alliances, the tapping tale would sour its relationship with allies - and thus erode its security bedrock - more than any terrorist would be capable of,' Xinhua said.

The Obama administration has tried to distance itself from the NSA, a tactic that has irritated senior intelligence officials.

NSA Director General Keith Alexander, however, said on Friday that the orders for surveillance of world leaders came from American diplomats and policymakers.

Xinhua said that the US's prevarication about the spying programs was deeply hypocritical, especially considering the hacking accusations that Washington levels against Beijing.

The Chinese government is often accused, most vocally by the United States, of hacking into computer networks overseas, targeting both companies and government departments.

China consistently denies the accusations, saying it is one of the world's biggest victims of hacking.

Xinhua commentaries are not official policy statements, but can be read as reflections of the Chinese government's thinking.

Many details of the NSA's global spying programs have been disclosed by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden since June. Recent intelligence leaks have shown that the NSA tapped into phone calls of at least 35 world leaders.

AHT/HJ