'Where is the president? Why is he not speaking to the American people?' King asks. King: No more Mr. Nice Guy on China

Rep. Peter King says it’s time for the United States to get tough on China after NSA leaker Edward Snowden was allowed to leave Hong Kong.

“There’s no easy answers as far as dealing with China or Hong Kong, certainly with China,” King (R-N.Y.) said on CNN’s “New Day” on Monday. “I think as far as tipping the balance, we have to take a much, I believe, tougher attitude with China. … We have to step back and say, ‘Business cannot go on as usual.’”


King said even though Snowden left Hong Kong, he believes China was involved in the decision and he believes both of them blatantly ignored U.S. extradition requests the countries have honored in the past.

( PHOTOS: Pols, pundits react to Snowden on the run)

”I think that China and Hong Kong both blatantly went against the wishes of the United States,” King said. “This was strictly a political decision, and I can’t believe Hong Kong would have made it without China encouraging it or certainly acquiescing in it.”

King said the task to put pressure on China falls to President Barack Obama.

“This is really up to the president to be more aggressive and to know how to play his cards better than I think he has up ‘til now,” King said. “Again, I hate to be in the middle of a crisis second guessing the president, but where is he? Where is the president? Why is he not speaking to the American people? Why is he not more forceful in dealing with foreign leaders?”

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King also criticized the president’s handling of the entire surveillance issue.

”From the start of this whole NSA matter, the president should have been out front. … The president has to explain to the American people why, if he believes we’re back in pre-9/11, why we’re using such advanced post-9/11 techniques and methods,” King said. “He’s been silent. He should be the leader, he should be out, not talking about it in Berlin, speaking to the American people, and the same is overdue to let the Chinese and Russians know how serious we are about this.”

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified which news outlet King was speaking to.

CORRECTION: Corrected by: Julie Xie @ 06/24/2013 09:38 AM Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified which news outlet King was speaking to.