Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 03:02 pm
Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz has decades-long ties with China that could both inform Kamala Harris’s attitude toward the world’s No. 2 economy and get in the way via friction with leaders in Beijing and Republican critics back home. This makes the then-relatively unknown Minnesota governor the first person on a presidential ticket to have lived in China since George H.W. Bush, who served as US ambassador in Beijing during the 1970s. He taught English in southern Guangdong province in China in 1989 and 1990. Walz has spoken of the people of China in very kind terms.
Walz on Chinese Leadership and the People
They are such kind, generous, capable people.” He admired the Chinese people so much that he married his wife Gwen on the fifth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown-a date he wanted to be sure he would never forget the significance of. Walz also publicly discussed his “life-changing” lunch with the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader in exile. Policy-Making and Legislative Actions
Walz was interested in China, and his interest influenced his policy-making; thus, he cosponsored a number of pieces of legislation in the US House, including the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2017. He has also supported resolutions condemning China for its censorship of the Tiananmen Square massacre and voicing concern over the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners.
Public Scrutiny and Reactions via Social Media
Walz brings a long line of comment history regarding China, which has created public scrutiny as he steps onto the national political stage. On social media, his past statements have surfaced, such as a 1990 article he wrote on the generosity and capacity of the Chinese people. Again on agriculture, in a 2016 video interview, Walz expressed cooperation with China despite disagreeing over issues like those surrounding the South China Sea.
Evolution of Views on China
Walz’s comments about China have evolved from hopeful to critical, reflecting a Biden administration that competes with Beijing on military and economic issues but cooperates on matters such as climate change and narcotics trafficking.
Potential Criticism and Republican Attacks
Beijing may criticize Walz for his subtlety and past interactions with figures such as the Dalai Lama, but a Chinese official said any impact from Walz’s appointment would be minimal since US politicians always hammer China. Conversely, Walz’s positivity on US-China relations has put him in Republicans’ sights this election, amid a bilateral relationship that is growing increasingly combative.
Expert Opinions on Walz’s Stance
Michael Sobolik, senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, had this to say about Walz and his understanding of China: “The Chinese people aren’t Americans’ enemies, and Walz understands that basic reality. On the other hand, Walz seems overly optimistic about Washington’s struggle with the Chinese Communist Party.” Sobolik went on to say that Walz-perhaps like President Biden and Vice President Harris-reluctantly avoids a cold war framing for US-China relations-an attitude that Sobolik finds not very constructive.
Spokespeople for Walz did not immediately return requests for comment.Walz, once said of his experience in China, “I lived in China; I’ve been there about 30 times.
