(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Since becoming Democrats’ vice-presidential nominee earlier this week, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has gone viral in China due to his extensive ties to the communist superpower, according to Semafor.
So Communists and Democrats are aligned.
Got it.
— JWF (@JammieWF) August 7, 2024
The far-left leader with a “folksy demeanor” could help “to promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges” said Phoenix TV on China’s WeChat platform.
Walz reportedly taught English in China in the 1980s, spent his honeymoon in the region, and organized many student group trips to the country, funded by the Chinese government.
His experience abroad “gave him a new perspective on global education,” noted Phoenix TV, which touted the fact that Walz could still speak a little Chinese.
While many Chinese influencers expressed hope that Walz may help bridge the gap between America and the Eastern power, some keptics and anti-foreigners questioned his motives, pointing out that Walz was in China around the time of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
Activists for the city of Hong Kong celebrated the news of Walz’s potential appointment due to the fact that he met with political prisoner Joshua Wong in 2017, while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Jeffrey Ngo, former head of the Hong Kong pro-democracy party,, said expressed his excitement, saying he was “filled with enthusiasm and optimism” about the possibility of Walz’s influence in the White House.
Americans, however, were less interested in having Walz—who reportedly visited China around 30 times—lobby for the Chinese.
“Kamala Harris tapping Tim Walz for VP is a case study in how the Chinese Communist Party’s sub-national influence strategies can translate into an advocate in the White House,” wrote Michael Lucci, founder and CEO of the global consultancy firm State Armor, in a post on X. “China cultivated Walz as a teacher and a state legislator.”
Kamala Harris tapping Tim Walz for VP is a case study in how the Chinese Communist Party's sub-national influence strategies can translate into an advocate in the White House.
China cultivated Walz as a teacher and a state legislator. He lived in China and visited ~30 times. pic.twitter.com/KH5SYYGb6o
— Michael Lucci (@Michael7ucci) August 6, 2024
Lucci argued that Walz’s relationship with China is an obvious case of “sub-national influence.”
The CCP cultivating Tim Walz is textbook "sub-national influence"
1) Establish a relationship through friendly exchange during early career
2) Soften Walz's views of China with years of propaganda visits
3) Maintain a relationship as his career progresses
4) Get Walz to parrot…— Michael Lucci (@Michael7ucci) August 6, 2024
“Nobody goes to China 35 times for vacation,” wrote one X user from North Carolina, in response to a post from New York Post columnist Miranda Devine.
Nobody goes to China 35 times for vacation.
— JLB (@JPSLEB) August 7, 2024
Devine, meanwhile, pointed out that Walz and his wife chose June 4 as their wedding date to commemorate the Tiananmen Square massacre so he would “have a date he’ll always remember.”
Oh, and Walz chose June 4 as his wedding date to commemorate the bloody anniversary of China's brutal crackdown on democracy protesters in China's Tiananmen Square. "He wanted to have a date
he'll always remember," said his wife. That's weird. https://t.co/sUDCvywCch— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) August 7, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris, the current Democrat presidential nominee, tapped former Attorney General Eric Holder, a close ally of former President Barack Obama, to help oversee the selection process.
Some reports suggested that Walz might have been a last-minute selection after Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro bombed his screening interview and received blowback from anti-Semitic Muslim leaders for his Jewish faith.
However, his China ties may have proven to be an asset for Harris’s campaign given its past history of providing dark-money funding to Democrat candidates—including Obama and former President Bill Clinton—as well as its election-meddling capabilities.
On the other hand, some also have begun to openly wonder if Walz was chosen as a way to undermine Harris, whom Obama was slow to endorse following the coup of President Joe Biden.
“They might have sabotaged this ticket on purpose,” Fox News host Jesse Watters speculated during The Five.
“Eric Holder was in charge of vetting?” Watters continued. “Eric Holder’s a pretty sharp dude. He didn’t notice that this guy lied about not serving in war?”
Walz has sparked controversy over accusations of stolen valor following reports that he withdrew from the Army National Guard shortly before his unit was deployed to Afghanistan.
Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.
