[TeMPOraL]

I disagree.

The reason there will be no Snowden in China is primarily that China doesn't hide its spying, and secondarily becaue China does not maintain the pretense of moral superiority on international scale. Snowden-type leak from China would not change the way Chinese citizens perceive their government, and nobody else would care, much less exert outside pressure to change things.

Leaks and whistleblowers will happen, though - they do happen even in most oppressive of regimes.

(Also excuse me, but I don't believe US wouldn't try to exert pressure on you through your loved ones in a case like this.)

[EpicEng]

>China doesn't hide its spying,

Because they don't have to, because they cannot be democratically removed from power and their people accept a high level of human rights abuses as status quo. US citizens do not.

[pjc50]

Anyone remember the Plame affair? Not in the same category, but blowing the cover of a CIA operative in retaliation for their husband not following the party lie on Iraq.

Scooter Libby was prosecuted during the subsequent investigation and of course pardoned by Trump.