China Marks Russia ‘Winner’ and U.S. ‘Loser’ in Snowden Fiasco

In this handout photo provided by The Guardian, Edward Snowden speaks during an interview in Hong Kong. In an editorial in the state-run newspaper on August 8, 2013, China extolled Russia for seeing that the United States “ate dirt” by granting asylum to the American headache and accused spy, Edward Snowden. (Photo by The Guardian via Getty Images)

In an editorial in the state-run newspaper on Thursday, China extolled Russia for seeing that the United States “ate dirt” by granting asylum to the American headache and accused spy, Edward Snowden.

The unsigned Global Times commentary stated that “In the Snowden case, all the other countries involved have becomes winners while the U.S. is the sole loser.”

Also on Thursday, the White House canceled a summit between U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian leader Vladimir Putin over a “lack of progress” on many issues, including the decision to grant Snowden one-year temporary asylum.

The Global Times said it was gratified by Russia’s tough stance against “U.S.’s hypocritical national policies” and “abuses of power.”

“Moscow displayed its national characteristics of decisiveness and boldness and kept Washington at bay,” said the paper.

“The performance that has disgraced the U.S. is far from over,” it added.

There is discussion among scholars over the extent to which the Global Times, well known as a nationalistic mouthpiece, represents the views of the senior leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. Organizationally, at least, the newspaper sits underneath the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the CCP. Both newspapers are controlled by the Party’s Central Propaganda Department, and at no time may they stray far from its directives.