Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Top News
Top News
Politics

New Reports Challenge Gov. Walz's China Travel Claims

Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign event, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

Newly discovered reports have raised questions about the accuracy of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's statements regarding his travel to China. The controversy centers around Walz's assertion of having traveled to China in 1989 during the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, a period marked by a violent crackdown on protesters by the Chinese government.

Walz, who previously mentioned a teaching position in China in 1989, is facing scrutiny over the timeline of his travels. Reports indicate that Walz organized and led trips to China while working as a teacher before entering politics.

During a 2014 hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Walz, then a congressman, recounted details of his alleged visit to China during the Tiananmen Square protests. However, recent findings suggest that Walz was actually in Nebraska around the time of the protests, as evidenced by a newspaper article and a photo from May 1989.

Reports suggest Walz led trips to China before entering politics.
Controversy surrounds Gov. Tim Walz's travel claims to China in 1989.
Findings indicate Walz was in Nebraska during Tiananmen Square protests.

An issue of the Alliance Times-Herald from May 16, 1989, features a photo of Walz touring a Nebraska National Guard storeroom, with the caption indicating his upcoming move to Alliance, Nebraska. Additionally, a separate newspaper article published in April 1989 in a Nebraska-based outlet mentioned Walz's plans to travel to China in early August of that year.

When questioned about his presence in China during the Tiananmen Square protests, the Harris campaign, representing the Democratic vice presidential nominee, was unable to provide evidence supporting Walz's claim.

The discrepancies in Walz's statements have emerged just before the upcoming vice presidential debate, where Republican allies of Ohio Sen. JD Vance have hinted at using Walz's purported history in China as a potential point of attack against the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.