U.S. surveillance scope counter to international law: FM spokesperson

BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Thursday said that the U.S. government has continuously expanded its scope of surveillance, meddled in other countries' internal affairs, and interfered in international affairs, which runs counter to international law and the basic norms of international relations. The United States should have a better sense of boundary and less obsession for control.

It is reported that Joshua Geltzer, a member of the National Security Council of the United States, said that Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Security Act (FISA), the key legal basis for U.S. intelligence agencies to monitor non-U.S. citizens overseas without a warrant and strengthen international surveillance, will expire on December 31.

In response to a related query, spokesperson Mao Ning told a daily news briefing that FISA was introduced in the United States after the Watergate scandal to prevent the administration from abusing its power and arbitrary monitoring. But Section 702, enacted in 2008, allows security services to conduct surveillance without a court warrant.

Since then, the U.S. government has continuously expanded its scope of surveillance, meddled in other countries' internal affairs, and interfered in international affairs, which runs counter to international law and the basic norms of international relations, Mao noted.

The larger the scope of monitoring, the smaller the circle of friends. The United States should have a better sense of boundary and less obsession for control, she said.