China-ties probe of Tim Walz, Democratic VP candidate, formally launched by US House panel

Republican chair writes to FBI chief and cites Minnesota governor’s ‘cosy relationship’ with Beijing and ‘devotion to the CCP’

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A sign bearing the images of US Vice-President Kamala Harris and her running mate on the 2024 Democratic Party ticket, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in Chicago, Illinois, on Friday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:00am, 17 Aug 2024Updated: 6:47am, 17 Aug 2024

US Republicans on Friday formally launched a probe of Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, targeting his personal history with China and seizing on what they perceive as a crucial political vulnerability in the 2024 race for the White House.

In announcing the investigation, James Comer, chair of the US House Oversight committee, cited reports highlighting the Minnesota governor’s “long-standing connections to Chinese Communist Party entities and officials”.

The Kentucky Republican wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray requesting “information, documents and communications related to the CCP-connected entities and officials” Walz may have “engaged and partnered with”.

Comer in a statement issued by the panel claimed that Walz shared a “cosy relationship” with China and served as a fellow at a Chinese institution in Macau that maintains a “devotion to the CCP”.

What connection does US VP pick Walz have to China?

The Minnesota governor spent about a year teaching high school in China in the late 1980s through Harvard University’s WorldTeach programme.