Walz's China Stories Begin to Unravel, as Harris Campaign Scrambles to Explain Why

Democratic vice presidential candidate, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, has seemingly taken another leap into what some are calling the "Great Wall of Exaggeration" regarding his experiences in China, as recent reports suggest.

According to CNN, since 2014, Walz has claimed he was in Asia on June 4, 1989, during the Chinese government's violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.

“As a young man, I was just going to teach high school in Foshan in Guangdong, and was in Hong Kong in May of ’89,” he said. “And as the events were unfolding, several of us went in. And I still remember the train station in Hong Kong.”

“The opportunity to be in a Chinese high school at that critical time seemed to me to be really important. And it was a very interesting summer to say the least. Because if you recall, as we moved in that summer and further on, and the news blackouts and things that went on, you certainly can’t black out news from people if they want to get it,” he continued.

However, the Washington Free Beacon reported discrepancies. On May 16, 1989, the Nebraska-based Alliance Times-Herald published a photograph of Walz visiting a Nebraska National Guard storeroom.

Moreover, another account highlighted by the Free Beacon indicated that Walz was actually set to head to China in August of 1989, not during the spring.

Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) added more details regarding Walz’s China narrative. According to MPR, a mid-August 1989 report stated that Walz was preparing to leave for China “in a few days” to teach as part of the WorldTeach program.

“Walz was so proud of his experience in China when he was a Congressman that, occasionally, he even appears to have exaggerated it, like when he commemorated the Tiananmen Square massacre of June 1989,” MPR reported. They also noted, “Walz also appears to have exaggerated the number of times he has been to China.”

“I lived in China. And as I said, I’ve been there about 30 times,” MPR quoted Walz as stating.

The report examined his claim of making 30 trips to China between 1989 and 2016. For that to be true, Walz would have had to visit China more than once each year.

MPR was unable to find any official records of visits during Walz’s time in Congress, which spanned from 2007, when he assumed office, to 2018, when he was elected governor of Minnesota.

When pressed on the matter, the Harris-Walz campaign responded.

“After weeks of searching, a spokesman confirmed that Walz traveled from the US to China closer to 15 times,” the MPR report stated.

CNN also sought clarification.

“When asked by CNN if Walz was in China during the Tiananmen Square protests, the Harris campaign was unable to provide evidence to substantiate Walz’s claim,” CNN wrote.

The discrepancies in Walz's claims about China have led to questions about his credibility.

In August, the Harris campaign also had to retract statements Walz made regarding his handling of weapons during the war, as reported by CNN. He has similarly faced accusations of overstating his record in the National Guard.

The Free Beacon also mentioned that during his teaching years, Walz appeared to advocate for aspects of Chinese communism.

“It means that everyone is the same and everyone shares,” Walz reportedly taught in 1991.

“The doctor and the construction worker make the same. The Chinese government and the place they work for provide housing and 14 kg or about 30 pounds of rice per month. They get food and housing,” he explained.