Read more in Special Coverage:


Edward Snowden, the ex-CIA whistle-blower, has applied for political asylum in Ecuador, which is also sheltering WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in its embassy in the UK.

Snowden took a flight from Hong Kong to Moscow on Sunday, but then his whereabouts became unknown. He looks like a fugitive, but the one who has violated the interests of both US citizens and the rest of the world is the US government. It has cornered a young idealist who has exposed the sinister scandals of the US government.

Instead of apologizing, Washington is showing off its muscle by attempting to control the whole situation. As a formidable power which is difficult to challenge, the US is able to make and distort the definition of "justice" for its own interests.

Snowden's whistle-blowing is an international incident, demanding everyone concerned act in a discreet manner. We should be positive that public opinion is focused on the judgment of US violations instead of how to encircle an individual. Public opinion, free as it is, should strike more blows against Washington's responsibilities.

We believe that Snowden's revelations are just the tip of an iceberg. If more "Snowdens" step forward in the future, the world should support them as much as possible.

However, so far, both Snowden and Assange have still not been sent to court by the US government.

It is not the ineptitude of the US government but pressure from the public that deters Washington from pushing them to a dead end. The voices of opposition should be amplified, which will safeguard the bottom line that Washington will not resort to a witch-hunt.

Washington keeps a firm grip of the Internet where it abuses its power. But other countries are not united in fighting US hegemony in cyberspace.

Along with the expansion of American Internet barons which have extremely close relations with Washington, the order of the Internet is now being used by Washington to serve its own interests. Snowden sounded the alarm, and we cannot cover our ears.

We are not making a fuss over such concerns. As the Internet continues to merge with our real lives, our shallow knowledge about it has left us lagging behind, emboldening the US to expand influence.

We should sort out the situation and break the US' monopoly in cyberspace, formulating regulations on an equal footing with Washington.

Although the whistle-blowing affair has been "suppressed," China still needs to make a thorough analysis on the causes and effects of this incident, or we will become the biggest fish in the net of the "World Washington Web."