China has given its first hint of its stance on the Sony Pictures hack and The Interview, and Americans will likely be displeased. An editorial in The Global Times, a paper run by the state's Communist Party, largely sides with North Korea and strongly criticizes The Interview.

The editorial reads, in part, that "any civilized world will oppose hacker attacks or terror threats. But a movie like The Interview, which makes fun of the leader of an enemy of the US, is nothing to be proud of for Hollywood and US society." It continues, "No matter how the US society looks at North Korea and Kim Jong-un, Kim is still the leader of the country. The vicious mocking of Kim is only a result of senseless cultural arrogance."

"The vicious mocking of Kim is only a result of senseless cultural arrogance."

It also argues, "The US society stands on the upper stream of global competition of culture. It needs to show some good manners instead of being too aggressive. The American elites should not just speak like gentlemen, but behave like them."

The editorial does not address the link between North Korea and the hacks, and China's perspective isn't a surprising one. China is largely seen as North Korea's sole major tie to the global community. Its alliance with the country and the Kim family has helped keep the nation afloat despite years of being cut off from the rest of the world. This relationship also gives China appreciable sway over North Korea; the White House reached out to China just yesterday asking the government to rein in the dictatorship's cyber warfare campaigns. They have not yet received a response.