Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz addressed growing controversy surrounding his past trips to China during Tuesday night’s debate. Walz faced tough questions from CBS News moderator Margaret Brennan regarding discrepancies in his statements about his travel timeline and activities in China.
Walz had previously claimed to have been in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. However, reports from Minnesota Public Radio and other outlets now indicate that Walz didn’t travel to China until August of that year, months after the protests ended.
Addressing the Timeline
When pressed by Brennan, Walz seemed visibly shaken but began by discussing his background, growing up in rural Nebraska, serving in the National Guard, and using the GI Bill to become a teacher. He explained that in the summer of 1989, he traveled to China as a “passionate young teacher” and began organizing student trips in the following years.
“I came back home and started a program to take young people there,” Walz said, recalling how he led teams of students, athletes, and performers to China to foster cross-cultural understanding.
Walz admitted that he may not always have been precise in recounting events. “I will be the first to tell you I have poured my heart into my community and tried to do the best I can, but I’ve not been perfect,” he said. “And I’m a knucklehead at times.”
Controversy Over Ties to China
The controversy over Walz’s trips to China has drawn attention beyond just the debate stage. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, has investigated Walz’s connections with China, particularly questioning his ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Comer alleges that Walz may have been susceptible to the CCP’s “elite capture” strategy, which seeks to co-opt influential figures to benefit the regime.
In particular, Comer has focused on Walz’s involvement with Educational Travel Adventures, Inc., a company Walz founded in the 1990s to organize student trips to China. Comer claims that the Chinese government-funded some of these trips, and Walz is estimated to have visited China around 30 times.
Walz’s campaign has since clarified that the number of trips was closer to 15.
Debate Defense
During the debate, Walz stood by the educational purpose of his trips, arguing that the experience enriched his understanding of global issues. He suggested that former President Donald Trump would have benefited from such exposure, saying, “I guarantee you [Trump] wouldn’t be praising Xi Jinping about COVID. And I guarantee you he wouldn’t start a trade war that he loses.”
Despite Brennan’s repeated questioning on the timeline discrepancy, Walz maintained that he had learned valuable lessons from his travels and that he is committed to serving his community through teaching, military service, or his role in Congress.
As the vice presidential race heats up, Walz’s connections to China and the exact nature of his travel history will likely remain under scrutiny.