During the vice presidential debate against Republican Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz faced scrutiny over his previous claims of being in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

Reports from Minnesota Public Radio and other outlets have shown that Walz did not travel to Asia until several months after the protests, a timeline that was questioned during the debate.

When pressed by the debate moderator to clarify the discrepancy, Walz responded with a lengthy discussion about his upbringing and career but initially avoided addressing the specific timeline of his claims. “Well, and to the folks out there who didn’t get at the top of this, look, I grew up in small rural Nebraska, a town of 400, a town that you rode your bike with your buddies till the street lights come on, and I’m proud of that service,” Walz said.

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He then outlined his journey through the National Guard, working on family farms, and eventually becoming a teacher with the help of the GI Bill.

Walz continued, recalling his first trip to China in the summer of 1989, but did not directly address the contradiction in dates. “My first year out, I got the opportunity in the summer of ’89 to travel to China,” he said, suggesting that his experiences in the region had influenced his views on governance.

However, when the moderator pressed him further on the timeline issue, Walz admitted that he may have misspoken in his earlier statements. “No, just all I said on this was I got there that summer and misspoke on this. So I will just, that’s what I’ve said,” Walz acknowledged.

He clarified that he was in Hong Kong and China during the democracy protests but not during the height of the Tiananmen Square events in the spring of 1989.

During the debate, Walz also took the opportunity to criticize former President Donald Trump’s policies on China.

He argued that firsthand experiences, like his own in China, could have informed better diplomatic strategies, particularly regarding Trump’s handling of COVID-19 and trade relations with China. “I guarantee you he wouldn’t be praising Xi Jinping about COVID, and I guarantee you he wouldn’t start a trade war that he ends up losing,” Walz said.

The controversy surrounding Walz’s statements has drawn attention to his connections with China. Critics have highlighted his honeymoon in China and the timing of his marriage on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Some experts have raised concerns about his ties to the Chinese regime, arguing that these aspects of his background warrant further scrutiny as Walz campaigns for the vice presidency.

As the debate unfolded, Walz’s comments left some questioning the accuracy of his earlier claims, while others focused on his broader critique of U.S.-China relations.

With the 2024 election approaching, the issue is likely to remain a point of contention.

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