Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz has bragged about his time living in China, saying he would “never” be treated the way he was in the communist country, and lauded the lack of crime under the repressive regime.
The Minnesota governor taught in schools in China as part of the Harvard University-based WorldTeach program from 1989 to 1990, according to the Star-Herald, and was one of the first Americans accepted into the program.
“No matter how long I live, I’ll never be treated that well again,” Mr. Waltz, 60, recalled after teaching American history, culture and English in Foshan, southern China, in 1990.
“They gave me more gifts than I could take home. It was a great experience,” Waltz said, emphasizing that he was “treated very well.”
“There was no anti-American sentiment whatsoever. America is ‘it’ for Chinese people. A lot of students want to study in the U.S. They feel there aren’t many opportunities for them in China.”
He also praised the city where he lives, saying it has “very little crime” and that he has “never felt threatened.”
During his time as a teacher, he travelled across China, worked in Macau six times and visited Tiananmen Square, the site of the 1989 massacre during protests.
“For people, this square will always hold a lot of bitter memories,” Walz acknowledged of the square.
Waltz, who was announced Tuesday as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election, argued that with the “right leadership” the Chinese people have “no limit” to what they can accomplish.
“They are such kind, generous, talented people. They just keep giving to me. Going there was one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Waltz said.
According to a 1993 Alliance Times-Herald article, Waltz and his wife, Gwen Whipple, worked on a China exchange program with Beijing in 1994, helping seven Nebraska high school students travel to China and adapt to Chinese culture.
The governor has since visited China frequently with his wife and continues to speak positively about China, saying the United States should not view it as an “enemy country.”
“I’ve lived in China and, as I said, I’ve been there about 30 times. I don’t think we necessarily need to have an adversarial relationship with China. I totally disagree,” Waltz told AgriPulse magazine in a 2016 interview.
In the interview, the governor said he wants to trade with China but also wants China to abide by environmental, fair trade and human rights agreements.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to The Washington Post’s inquiries.
