Kerry: Snowden Will Not Upset Relationship with China

Probably because U.S. has neither carrots nor sticks to use

Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that relations with China would not be upset by allegations that it had facilitated the flight of Edward J. Snowden, the fugitive former national security contractor.

Mr. Snowden's ability to avoid detention in Hong Kong and travel to Moscow, despite a request by the United States that he be arrested, initially led to an angry response by Obama administration officials.

The White House last week described the development as a "serious setback" to American-Chinese relations, while Mr. Kerry himself warned that it would have "consequences" for ties with Beijing.

But after a meeting with his Chinese counterpart at a conference hosted by Southeast Asian nations here, Mr. Kerry struck a conciliatory note, casting the Snowden affair as one issue among many.