Believe it or not, China likely allowed Snowden’s exit as a favor to the U.S.

“Typically, when the United States and China argue about transferring a high-profile and politically sensitive individual between their custodies, it’s a Chinese dissident whom the U.S. wants to grant asylum. Those cases are often perceived as deeply embarrassing for China, although Beijing has increasingly learned to live with them.

Perhaps Chinese authorities saw this as a rare reversal: an American political dissident looking for asylum in Hong Kong, which despite its special status is a part of China. In the Chinese government worldview, granting asylum would have been the real slap to the United States.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong had two bad choices. Extraditing him would likely infuriate Hong Kong’s citizens, who support Snowden, as well as risk appearing to bow to the Americans. Sheltering him, though, would have enraged Washington and risked Hong Kong’s reputation in the West as a law-abiding city distinct from mainland China.”