The choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as Kamala Harris’s running mate for the 2024 US Presidential election has sparked significant interest and scepticism in China, particularly regarding his 1989 visit to the country.
On June 4, 1989, the Chinese government carried out a severe crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
Walz, a former school teacher, first travelled to China in 1989 to teach English in Foshan, a city in Guangdong province. His visits to China, including multiple summer trips with student groups, have been noted, but his 1989 arrival has drawn particular attention, news agency AFP reported.
Adding to the controversy, the 60-year-old Minnesota governor was married to his wife Gwen on June 4, 1994—the fifth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident.
According to a local US newspaper, the date was chosen intentionally by Walz to ensure it would be memorable. “He wanted to have a date he’ll always remember,” his wife was quoted as saying.
In China, where discussion of the Tiananmen events remains heavily censored, social media users on Wednesday have begun to questioned Walz’s timing in the country. Some have speculated about possible ulterior motives behind his visit.
‘Is he from the CIA?’
Comments on the Chinese social media platform Weibo included remarks questioning Walz’s intentions and even suggesting connections to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
One user remarked, “He came to China at a time of turmoil, clearly with a special mission,” while another questioned, “Is he from the CIA?” A third user noted, “Look at the year and you can’t help but be sceptical.”
Meanwhile, some users are closely examining Walz’s potential influence on the United States and China relations if Kamala Harris is elected president.
One user speculated, “If Harris is elected president, Vice President Walz will have a definite influence on her China policy.”
In response to a 2016 interview where Walz commented on the potential for US-China cooperation, users expressed scepticism. “2016 was a previous era,” one remarked. Another user cautioned, “Don’t negligently assign a persona to your opponent.”
Walz had pushed back against the notion that the United States and China are necessary adversaries, a perspective that has become prevalent in Washington in recent years due to increasing trade and geopolitical tensions with Beijing.
“I lived in China and as I said I’ve been there about 30 times,” he had told the farming news website Agri-Pulse in a 2016 interview.
(With inputs from AFP)
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