Ubiquitous
2024-08-10 02:05:04 UTC
Tim Walz, Kamala Harris' running mate, has a deep affection for China
after being one of the first government-sanctioned Americans to teach
in the country.
Walz, 60, went to China straight after college through a program set up
by Harvard University and taught in Guangdong province, shortly after
the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing in 1989.
He would later honeymoon in China with his wife Gwen, bringing a group
of 60 young people with them
In the 1990s the couple set up a business which took high school
students to China every summer for around a decade.
Walz has been to China dozens of times, including on trade missions,
and has called his experiences there 'amazing'.
His admiration for the country opens the door for him to be attacked by
Donald Trump and Republicans as the U.S, and China enter a period of
increasing economic and military rivalry.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz before Vice President Kamala Harris speaks
on March 14, 2024, in St. Paul, Minnesota
Tim Walz's first trip to China reported in his local newspaper
Walz, who speaks some Mandarin, said recently he did not accept that
China had to be an 'adversary'.
He said: 'I've lived in China and, as I've said, I've been there about
30 times. If anyone tells you they're an expert on China they're
probably not telling you the truth because it's a complex country.
'But it's critically important for us. I don't fall into the category
that China necessarily needs to be an adversarial relationship, I
totally disagree.'
Responding to Walz's selection Donald Trump's running mate J.D. Vance,
speaking in Philadelphia, accused him of planning to send jobs to
China.
Vance said: 'Tim Walz is a guy who wants to shift more and more
American manufacturing jobs to China.
'He said it on camera in the name of the green energy scam. If you care
about the environment, and I certainly do, why are you going to ship
American manufacturing jobs to the dirtiest economy in the world? Why
wouldn't you keep them right here, in Pennsylvania, the places that
really need it?'
'To have a guy who wants to ship manufacturing jobs to China? There is
no way the American people are going to buy it. It just doesn't make
sense.'
Tim Walz in an undated photo from the Mankato West High School Alumni
for Walz Facebook Group. Walz is seen here on a class trip
Following his first trip to China, teaching at Foshan Number One High
School, Walz told his local newspaper, the Alliance Star-Herald in
Nebraska: 'No matter how long I live I'll never be treated that well
again. They gave me more gifts than I could bring home. It was an
excellent experience.'
He said 'China was coming, and thats the reason that I went,' and
expressed his admiration for how hard his Chinese students at Foshan
No. 1 High School worked.
He said: 'If they had the proper leadership there are no limits on what
they could accomplish. They are such kind, generous, capable people.
They just gave and gave and gave to me. Going there was one of the best
things I have ever done.'
As a teacher back in the United States, Walz had a Chinese banner in
his office.
Kamala Harris picked Tim Walz as her running mate
A report from Tim Walz's local newspaper abut his trips to China
According to a report in the Alliance Times-Herald in 1993, while
students raised money for that summer's trip to the country, Chinese
authorities paid 'a large part of the cost'.
Walz reportedly told the students to 'downplay their American-ness' on
the trip.
A Chinese university was reportedly helping with expenses for food,
rooms and transportation.
The following year seven students reportedly received $800
'scholarships' to help with the cost.
The scholarships were sponsored by Walz, his wife, and 'the Chinese
government'.
According to a report in Nebraska's Alliance Times-Herald in 1993,
while students raised money for that summer's trip, Chinese authorities
paid 'a large part of the cost'
Walz told students to 'downplay their American-ness'
A Chinese university was reportedly helping with expenses for food,
rooms and transportation
J.D. Vance accused Walz of wanting to send U.S. jobs to China
The following year seven students reportedly received $800
'scholarships' to help with the cost.
The scholarships were sponsored by Walz, his wife, and 'the Chinese
government'.
Michael Sobolik, senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council,
said it was 'notable' that 'the Chinese government funded Tim Walzs
student exchange trips to China in the 90s.
'By Walzs own admission, it was unusual that the government paid a
large part of the cost.'
--
Let's go Brandon!
after being one of the first government-sanctioned Americans to teach
in the country.
Walz, 60, went to China straight after college through a program set up
by Harvard University and taught in Guangdong province, shortly after
the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing in 1989.
He would later honeymoon in China with his wife Gwen, bringing a group
of 60 young people with them
In the 1990s the couple set up a business which took high school
students to China every summer for around a decade.
Walz has been to China dozens of times, including on trade missions,
and has called his experiences there 'amazing'.
His admiration for the country opens the door for him to be attacked by
Donald Trump and Republicans as the U.S, and China enter a period of
increasing economic and military rivalry.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz before Vice President Kamala Harris speaks
on March 14, 2024, in St. Paul, Minnesota
Tim Walz's first trip to China reported in his local newspaper
Walz, who speaks some Mandarin, said recently he did not accept that
China had to be an 'adversary'.
He said: 'I've lived in China and, as I've said, I've been there about
30 times. If anyone tells you they're an expert on China they're
probably not telling you the truth because it's a complex country.
'But it's critically important for us. I don't fall into the category
that China necessarily needs to be an adversarial relationship, I
totally disagree.'
Responding to Walz's selection Donald Trump's running mate J.D. Vance,
speaking in Philadelphia, accused him of planning to send jobs to
China.
Vance said: 'Tim Walz is a guy who wants to shift more and more
American manufacturing jobs to China.
'He said it on camera in the name of the green energy scam. If you care
about the environment, and I certainly do, why are you going to ship
American manufacturing jobs to the dirtiest economy in the world? Why
wouldn't you keep them right here, in Pennsylvania, the places that
really need it?'
'To have a guy who wants to ship manufacturing jobs to China? There is
no way the American people are going to buy it. It just doesn't make
sense.'
Tim Walz in an undated photo from the Mankato West High School Alumni
for Walz Facebook Group. Walz is seen here on a class trip
Following his first trip to China, teaching at Foshan Number One High
School, Walz told his local newspaper, the Alliance Star-Herald in
Nebraska: 'No matter how long I live I'll never be treated that well
again. They gave me more gifts than I could bring home. It was an
excellent experience.'
He said 'China was coming, and thats the reason that I went,' and
expressed his admiration for how hard his Chinese students at Foshan
No. 1 High School worked.
He said: 'If they had the proper leadership there are no limits on what
they could accomplish. They are such kind, generous, capable people.
They just gave and gave and gave to me. Going there was one of the best
things I have ever done.'
As a teacher back in the United States, Walz had a Chinese banner in
his office.
Kamala Harris picked Tim Walz as her running mate
A report from Tim Walz's local newspaper abut his trips to China
According to a report in the Alliance Times-Herald in 1993, while
students raised money for that summer's trip to the country, Chinese
authorities paid 'a large part of the cost'.
Walz reportedly told the students to 'downplay their American-ness' on
the trip.
A Chinese university was reportedly helping with expenses for food,
rooms and transportation.
The following year seven students reportedly received $800
'scholarships' to help with the cost.
The scholarships were sponsored by Walz, his wife, and 'the Chinese
government'.
According to a report in Nebraska's Alliance Times-Herald in 1993,
while students raised money for that summer's trip, Chinese authorities
paid 'a large part of the cost'
Walz told students to 'downplay their American-ness'
A Chinese university was reportedly helping with expenses for food,
rooms and transportation
J.D. Vance accused Walz of wanting to send U.S. jobs to China
The following year seven students reportedly received $800
'scholarships' to help with the cost.
The scholarships were sponsored by Walz, his wife, and 'the Chinese
government'.
Michael Sobolik, senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council,
said it was 'notable' that 'the Chinese government funded Tim Walzs
student exchange trips to China in the 90s.
'By Walzs own admission, it was unusual that the government paid a
large part of the cost.'
--
Let's go Brandon!