I was under the assumption he went to China to avoid extradition laws. That's actually the same thing Bill O'Reilly said, the DC, China comparison, except he would be immediately arrested for treason under US law if he went to DC and exposed it. So, go to China, expose it and take your chances on the lam, or go to DC, get arrested, probably never heard from again... If it were me, I'd probably have chosen a different country than China, but I sure as fuck wouldn't have stayed in the states or gone to an extradition country, that's down right stupid, especially this day in age and with how Manning's situation is being handled.