China Today: Julian Assange and a new wrinkle. 

A new wrinkle.  Recently there were visits between China and Australia and it went well.  The Chinese commentators and experts say Assange was released to save Aukus and to repair any relational issues between Australia, the UK and the US.  They say it was purely for geopolitical reasons. Settling Assange’s case helps US consolidate ties with Australia, strengthen small cliques in Asia-Pacific: expert

Quotes:

Secret diplomatic maneuvers

Behind closed doors, an Australia-US-UK diplomatic dance opened the way for a plea deal to free the WikiLeaks founder, analysts and a diplomat previously involved in the case told AFP.

The tide shifted strongly in Assange’s favor after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was elected in May 2022 and made his release a priority, a diplomat who did not want to be named told the AFP.

Assange and his family had been advised previously that he should plead guilty and strike a deal because it would be difficult for the US to drop the charges, said the diplomat.

In February this year, Albanese said he hoped for an amicable end to the prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after Australian lawmakers ramped up pressure on the US and UK by passing a motion calling for Assange to be allowed to return to his home country.

The release of Assange has helped to remove a major obstacle between Washington and Canberra, strengthening their coordination. Washington had the current Asia-Pacific situation in mind when deciding to settle the case, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.

The US and Australia have strong cooperation in both political and security aspects. Strengthening cooperation with Australia can help US counter China’s influence in the Western Pacific region through the creation of alliances, Li explained. 

“I think part of the reason this has happened today is because it was becoming a significant issue for the relationship,” Emma Shortis, senior researcher in international and security affairs at The Australia Institute thinktank, told media, noting that notably since London, Washington and Canberra agreed on a nuclear-powered submarine pact, AUKUS.

Li said after 14 years, the US has come to the conclusion that continuing to pursue the Assange case is no longer worth the effort. Therefore, Assange’s confession and return to Australia are seen as a means for the US to save face and for the relationship between the US and Australia to be repaired.

What is even more tragic than Assange’s guilty plea is that his fate is not the outcome of his own actions, but rather the result of a compromise and coordination among various governments for geopolitical reasons, said Li.”

This means the release was not only to bolster Biden votes, but to save a whole relationship with Australia.  They basically sold Assange to save AUKUS.  Good deal if you can get it.