The China experience of Timothy Walz, the running mate of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, may improve dialogues between China and the United States and bring pragmatism to their trade relations, according to some Chinese commentators.
Since Walz became Harris’ running mate on August 6, the 60-year-old Minnesota Governor has been attacked by the Republicans for his personal connections in China and his opposition in 2019 to then-President Donald Trump’s trade war.
Walz, who has been the governor of agriculture-heavy Minnesota since 2018, said in 2019 that Trump had to “start doing this job and end the trade war with China” as tariffs would hurt US farmers.
Some Western columnists have said Walz’s decades of China experience are an asset to the US, not a liability. And a Bloomberg article said Walz is a firm champion of human rights who has criticized Beijing’s record on Tibet and Hong Kong and co-sponsored resolutions condemning some of those violations.
A BBC commentary said Walz is more hawkish toward China than critics claim, noting that he
- co-sponsored a resolution in Congress marking the 20th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre,
- supported the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and
- met the Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism.
Mao Ning, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, was asked by a foreign journalist on August 7 about Beijing’s view on Walz. She refused to comment on Walz, saying that “the US presidential election is the domestic affair of the US.”
“We hope the US will work with China in the same direction under the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation and work for the steady, sound and sustainable development of China-US relations for the benefit of both countries and the wider world,” she said.
‘Rational and pragmatic’
While Beijing avoided directly commenting on US elections, most Chinese commentators showed respect for Walz in their articles, which were widely circulated on the highly-censored internet in China.
“Walz has strong stances in national security, environmental protection and human rights issues while seeking to maintain a pragmatic economic relationship with China,” a Shanxi-based columnist writes in a commentary. “It’s not easy to simply label Walz as a dove or a hawk. It appears that he is willing to find a balance between pragmatism and principles.”
A Jiangxi-based commentator says the Trump and Biden administrations showed their arrogance and prejudice against China in the past eight years. He says the Harris-Walz administration may adopt a more rational and pragmatic approach on China issues.
A commentator called Taola said Chinese netizens have 99% good feeling on Walz while some of them even wish that Walz were the candidate for US president, not vice president.
Some other Chinese pundits criticized Republicans for attacking Walz. But they said they are not sure whether Walz will be able to change the anti-China sentiment in the US.
“When Walz asked Trump to end the trade war with China, he was only speaking for the sake of US interests,” Liu Yong, a Hubei-based military writer, says in an article. “Walz gave his opinions rationally and objectively.”
“It’s ironic that a US politician who truly cares about the national interests of the US is now labeled as ‘pro-China’,” Liu says. “In the US, there is an outrageous phenomenon that anyone who is ‘not being completely anti-China’ is now called ‘not being anti-China at all’.”
He stresses that Walz is not pro-China, noting that the candidate has from time to time criticized China.
Toeing the Foreign Ministry’s official line, Liu says both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party should correct their anti-China mentality. He says Republicans are real villains while Democrats are hypocrites.
(In the Chinese idiom, there are three kinds of opponents: gentlemen, hypocrites and villains. The last two are equally nasty.)
“Walz’s China experience can help the US government understand Chinese people’s ideologies, behaviors and intentions,” a Henan-based columnist called Zewen says in an article. “This may have a positive impact on the communications between top leaders of the US and China.”
“Although his China stance is not as radical as that of Donald Trump, Walz will still take a hawkish stance against China,” Zewen adds. “If the Harris-Walz team wins the election, it’s likely that Washington will continue the Biden administration’s policy to suppress China on economic matters.”
He adds that Beijing does not really care who will become the next US president and vice president. He says Beijing only cares about the actual trend of Sino-US relations, and hopes that the US will resolve conflicts with China through dialogues.
Some other commentators said Beijing may favor the Harris-Walz team as Trump has vowed to impose a 60% tariff on Chinese goods if he wins.
Investigation of Walz
Over the past two weeks, Republicans have expressed concerns about Walz’s more than 30 visits to China. They demanded more information about his role as a teacher in China in the 1990s and his company that had organized US students to visit China for some years around the early 2000s.
On August 16, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability launched an investigation into Walz’s long-standing connections to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) entities and officials.
“Walz has visited China dozens of times, served as a fellow at a Chinese institution that maintains a devotion to the CCP, and spoke alongside the president of a Chinese organization the State Department exposed as a CCP effort to influence and co-opt local leaders,” James Comer, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and accountability, said in a press release. “The American people deserve to fully understand how deep Walz’s relationship with China goes.”
Comer said the committee has sent a letter to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray to request information, documents and communications related to the CCP-connected entities and officials Walz has engaged and partnered with.
He said FBI briefers recently informed the committee that the bureau’s Foreign Influence Task Force investigates CCP activity that is similar to China’s engagement with Walz.
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He might bring some sanity to the conversation but not the action but he will be over-ruled by lobbyists.
CHINA and USA is complimentary in trade term. China – producer, USA – customer. and where does customer had the money if they are not working? answer free cash from China. but why Americans don’t get the money . USA Weapon makers stole all of it.
So to be a good customer, USA must not buy from their own dinosaur price gorging weapon makers. Buy Made In China weapon at 1/10 the cost and American still have the 9/10 cash to spare
CHINA and USA is complimentary in trade term. China – producer, USA – customer. and where does customer had the money if they are not working? answer free cash from China. but why Americans don’t get the money . USA Weapon makers stole all of it.
So to be a good customer, USA must not buy from their own dinosaur price gorging weapon makers. Buy Made In China weapon at 1/10 the cost and American still have the 0/10 cash to spare