News: Walz’s China resume gets a lot of attention

Friday, August 9, 2024

Walz’s China resume gets a lot of attention

Aug 09, 2024

By Eric Bazail-Eimil, Jared Mitovich and Miles J. Herszenhorn

Kamala Harris speaks at podium as Tim Walz stands behind her onstage.

Presidential candidate Kamala Harris' running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, has a unique resume for a U.S. politician — he lived in China for a year. | Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO

With help from Daniel Lippman, Joe Gould and Matt Berg

Subscribe here | Email Matt | Email Eric

Washington and Beijing are trying to figure out what to make of Minnesota Gov. TIM WALZ’s connections to China and how that might influence policy toward the U.S. adversary if he and Vice President KAMALA HARRIS win the White House in November.

The Minnesota Democrat has a unique resume for a U.S. politician — he lived in China for a year, working as an English teacher in Guangdong province, near Hong Kong, and was in the region during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. He made multiple trips as an adult to China, and he and his wife ran a company that organized summer trips to the country for high schoolers. Walz also speaks Mandarin.

And as a member of Congress, he championed human rights in China. Walz served on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, an institutional watchdog within the U.S. government that monitors human rights in the country and met with the Dalai Lama and Hong Kong democracy activists.

If elected, Walz would be the first vice president to have lived in China since GEORGE H.W. BUSH. (Bush served as U.S. envoy to mainland China during the Ford administration.) And Washington and Beijing have noticed.

Chinese bloggers reacted with deep interest in Walz’s background. And pro-government journalist CHEN WEIHUA wrote a piece in state-run newspaper China Daily on Thursday asking if Walz could restore “sanity” to U.S. policy towards China. The Chinese Embassy in Washington declined to comment on specifics about Walz.

Republicans, meanwhile, were quick to criticize Walz’s ties to Beijing. Accounts tied to the Trump campaign have accused Walz of being soft on China, circulating clips of an interview he gave as a member of Congress where he said he didn’t “fall into the category that China necessarily needs to be an adversarial relationship.” An account tied to the Republican National Committee also posted an old video of Walz saying he is “pretty friendly with China.”

Others have insinuated that Walz will work to advance Chinese interests. Sen. MARCO RUBIO (R-Fla.) wrote on X that “Walz is an example of how Beijing patiently grooms future American leaders.” And the Heritage Foundation alleged in an X post that Walz has been compromised by Chinese government influence efforts, pointing to circumstantial ties with top Chinese officials.

The Harris campaign told NatSec Daily that Republicans are “twisting basic facts and desperately lying to distract from the Trump-Vance agenda.”

“Throughout his career, Governor Walz has stood up to the CCP, fought for human rights rights and democracy, and always put American jobs and manufacturing first,” the campaign said in a statement. “Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will ensure we win the competition with China, and will always stand up for our values and interests in the face of China’s threats.”

It’s also worth noting that USHA VANCE, wife of Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD VANCE (R-Ohio), also taught in China as part of an exchange program.

BONNIE GLASER, who leads the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund, said that Walz doesn’t come off as “naive” on China and argued that attacks on Walz for his experiences as a young person in China are unwarranted. “It's not fair to attack him because he had a personally good experience and felt that the Chinese people welcomed him,“ she told NatSec Daily.

But Glaser voiced her interest in hearing more from him on his thinking toward Taiwan and other security challenges. Walz only minimally commented on debates over aid to Taiwan and the future of the South China Sea as a member of Congress and that leaves open questions about how he’d approach potential conflict with China.

“I hope that whether it's in the debates or in interviews going forward between now and our elections, that Governor Walz has an opportunity to clarify a bit about what his current thinking is about Taiwan,” Glaser said. “Then we won’t have to speculate.”

A message from Lockheed Martin:

Bringing every domain closer, no matter the distance.

Today’s battlespace has no room for miscommunication. At Lockheed Martin, we’re building the strongest communication network possible, no matter where the battle lines are drawn. Defense tech you can count on when every second counts. Learn more.

The Inbox

TANKS BACK IN KHAN YOUNIS: Palestinians are fleeing a new Israeli assault on the Gazan city of Khan Younis, per the Associated Press' WAFAA SHURAFA.

Israeli tanks entered the eastern part of the city as the Israel Defense Forces warn that militants could regroup in now-cleared regions of the enclave. The new operation comes as the U.S., Qatar and Egypt issued a rare joint statement Thursday night urging Israel and Hamas to return to the negotiating table and iron out continued disagreements over how to implement a ceasefire and release hostages.

But it’s not clear that talks will actually get back on track, even with this nudge from Washington, Cairo and Doha. Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU said his country will send negotiators to Doha next Thursday, per Reuters. Hamas, however, has not committed to participating in next week’s talks.

And even if the talks occur, a senior administration official acknowledged in a briefing to reporters Thursday night that there still exists daylight between Israel and Hamas, even as the three mediating countries express their willingness to offer a “bridging proposal” to smooth over unresolved issues.

“It's not like the agreement is going to be ready to be signed on Thursday. There's still a significant amount of work to do,” said the official, who provided the briefing on the condition of being granted anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic negotiations. “But we do believe that what's left here really can be bridged. And there's really just no time to lose.”

REVERSALS TOWARD RIYADH: The U.S. will resume offensive weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, Reuters’ HUMEYRA PAMUK, PATRICIA ZENGERLE and STEVE HOLLAND report.

The Biden administration’s move is a major reversal of policy. The ban on offensive weapons sales, announced three years ago, was designed to help wind down the ongoing Yemeni civil war, which saw extensive Saudi military involvement as Tehran and Riyadh squared off in a major bloody proxy conflict.

The administration briefed Congress this week on its decision to lift the ban and sales could resume as early as next week, Reuters reports.

“The Saudis have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours," a senior Biden administration official told Reuters. The official noted that Saudi airstrikes stopped after a U.N.-brokered truce with the Houthi rebels two years ago.

DRONE WARS: Ukraine launched a large drone attack against Russia’s Lipetsk region early Friday morning, prompting local authorities to declare a state of emergency, our own ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH reports.

The drone attacks on Russian territory come as Ukrainian officials have become more outspoken in recent days about its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

“Russia brought the war to our land, and it should feel what it has done,” Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY told reporters after the strike.

Despite the strikes against its own territory, Russia is still firing into Ukraine. A Russian missile strike on a supermarket and post office in eastern Ukraine killed at least 10 people and injured 35 others, sparking a search for survivors trapped under the rubble, according to Reuters.

NEW SANCTIONS FOR BELARUS: The Treasury Department hit Belarus today with new sanctions, targeting individuals and entities that were found to have enabled Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The sanctions come on the four-year anniversary of the country’s fraudulent 2020 presidential elections, which led opposition leader SVIATLANA TSIKHANOUSKAYA to flee the country into exile in Lithuania. The U.S., Canada, U.K. and European Union also threatened additional sanctions against Belarus in a joint statement Friday.

The countries also called on Belarusian strongman ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO to free the nearly 1,400 political prisoners in the country. In a brief video address shared on X, Tsikhanouskaya reiterated her disappointment that no members of the Belarusian opposition were freed in last week’s historic prisoner swap.

DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of Washington’s national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink.

Today, we’re featuring FAREED YASSEEN, Iraq’s former ambassador to Washington and the country’s outgoing climate envoy. He told our DANIEL LIPPMAN that his favorite drink is a tea named the numi basra, a concoction of dried-lime pulp, steeped and sweetened with cardamom — sometimes with tea leaves. “Numi is the Arabic word for lime and basra is invoked because that is where merchants coming from India used to trade the lime for dates.”

Yasseen said he drinks it for the taste, but some drinkers find it therapeutic and soothing. He gave detailed instructions on how to prepare it: “Dice the dried lime, removing the seeds as they give a bitter taste and steep these small chunks in hot water as you would tea leaves. Sweeten to taste, then enjoy either hot or chilled.”

But if one is too exhausted after dealing with Middle Eastern politics all week and doesn’t want to make the tea, he said that the tea bags are sold under the label “dry desert lime” and distributed by Numi Tea, a California company founded by AHMAD RAHIM and REEM HASSANI, an Iraqi-American brother and sister team.

“Full disclosure: Our families know each other, and Ahmad and Reem’s paternal grandmother and mine were neighbors and friends in Baghdad more than half a century ago,” Yasseen said in a text message.

Sahteih, Ambassador!

IT’S FRIDAY. WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at mberg@politico.com and ebazail@politico.com, and follow us on X at @mattberg33 and @ebazaileimil.

While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, @JGedeon1 and @mherszenhorn.

During unprecedented times, POLITICO Pro Analysis gives you the insights you need to focus your policy strategy. Live briefings, policy trackers, and and people intelligence secures your seat at the table. Learn more.

ELECTION 2024

VETS VS. VETS: Republican attacks on Gov. Walz’s military service are drawing sharp responses from Democratic politicians with military service records of their own, our own JOE GOULD reports (for Pros!).

Senate Armed Services Committee Chair JACK REED (D-R.I.) — who just announced he was taking himself out of the running for Harris’ defense secretary — defended Walz on CNN today, calling the attacks on Walz “exaggerated and mischaracterized.”

Reed, who served in the 82nd Airborne Division as an infantry platoon leader, a company commander and a battalion staff officer, argued the barbs were an echo of the 2004 campaign to discredit the war record of Democratic presidential nominee JOHN KERRY, who served in Vietnam and later criticized the war.

“It’s a Republican tactic and demeaning to their campaign to try to insinuate that the governor is less than a patriotic and dedicated selfless servant in the military and in the Congress,” Reed said. "This deprecation of his military service — first of all it’s unfounded and second it is demeaning to everyone who has served.”

Reed is not the only veteran defending Walz. A dozen retired Army sergeants major and command sergeants major have endorsed Walz and slammed GOP criticism as "a dishonest and disrespectful attempt to undermine a patriotic veteran" and touted Walz's record in Congress and as governor.

"He is one of us, and we feel confident that he shares our values. We don’t have that kind of confidence in Donald Trump or JD Vance," the retired enlisted leaders wrote in a letter Thursday.

Keystrokes

IRAN’S INFLUENCE CAMPAIGN: A new Microsoft Threat Intelligence Report revealed that Iranian hackers are increasing their efforts to stoke division in the U.S. and influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Miles and our own MAGGIE MILLER report (for Pros!).

One group known to be aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted the “high-ranking official of a presidential campaign” with a phishing email. Another group with similar ties to the IRGC targeted a “county-level” government official in a swing state.

The influence campaign also involves the creation of websites disguised as news outlets that publish provocative materials in an effort to sow discord in the country. The websites targeted voters on both ends of the political spectrum and appeared to use artificial intelligence to plagiarize from more traditional U.S. media outlets.

HACKERS BOOST HARRIS: Cybersecurity professionals and hackers raised more than $150,000 for Harris’ presidential bid Thursday during a fundraiser held on the sidelines of the DEF CON hacking conference, our own JOSEPH GEDEON and Maggie reported Thursday night.

SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.

The Complex

IRAN’S SOUPED UP WEAPONS: The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said that its navy has new, highly explosive cruise missiles that are undetectable, according to Reuters.

The boasting comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East after the killing of Hamas leader ISMAIL HANIYEH in Tehran. Iran and Hamas have vowed to respond to Haniyeh’s killing even as Western diplomats have sought to avoid an escalation that could result in regional war.

HANOI AND MANILA DRILL: The Philippines and Vietnam held a first-ever joint coast guard exercise today, as tensions continue to mount in the South China Sea, per Reuters’ JAY ERENO and LISA MARIE DAVID.

The joint exercises are not Hanoi’s only move to counter rising Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Vietnam is scaling up construction of artificial islands and barriers in the contested sea to shore up its own position, The Washington Post’s REBECCA TAN and LARIS KARKLIS report.

On the Hill

BIPARTISAN CYBER PUSH: Lawmakers unveiled a bipartisan bill that will require federal contractors follow cybersecurity guidelines set forth by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The legislation, introduced by Sens. MARK WARNER (D-Va.) and JAMES LANKFORD (R-Okla.), will make federal contractors adopt vulnerability detection policies, which the senators say will help them receive vulnerability reports and patch software problems before an attack takes place. While civilian agencies are already obligated to have them, contractors are currently exempt under federal law.

Rep. NANCY MACE (R-S.C.) introduced companion legislation in the House, indicating a possible path for the bill in a divided Congress.

Broadsides

KIRBY KICKS SMOTRICH: National Security Council spokesperson JOHN KIRBY slammed far-right Israeli minister BEZALEL SMOTRICH over comments Smotrich made about a possible hostage deal between Hamas and Israel.

In a gaggle with reporters, Kirby called Smotrich’s views “extremist” and “dead wrong.” He added that "they're misleading the Israeli public and would sacrifice the lives of Israeli and American hostages" and insisted the Biden administration “won't allow extremists, including those in Israel, to push the talks off course.”

Earlier this week, Smotrich argued that it would be “right and moral thing” to allow the starvation of millions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a way to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. He also claimed that a deal would see the release of fewer hostages and endanger Israel.

X’D OUT: Venezuelan President NICOLÁS MADURO banned the social media platform X in the country for 10 days, per Reuters’ VIVIAN SEQUERA and MAYELA ARMAS.

“X get out of Venezuela for 10 days,” Maduro said on state television. The ban comes amid a public spat with ELON MUSK, the platform’s owner, over the country’s disputed presidential election results. The two have sparred on the social media platform over the election and have both challenged each other to a physical fight.

Transitions

— ALEXANDRIA MALONEY is now director of external affairs at the Kettering Foundation. She previously was senior membership manager at the Truman National Security Project and also serves as the president of the Black Professionals in International Affairs.

— MICHAEL HOROWITZ has left the Defense Department, where he served as deputy assistant secretary of Defense for force development and emerging capabilities. He is returning to the University of Pennsylvania, where he will be Richard Perry Professor and the director of Perry World House.

What to Read

— HALA RHARRIT and ANNELLE SHELINE, Foreign Policy: The State Department’s Gaza policy has failed

— GISELA SALIM-PEYER, The Atlantic: Venezuela’s Berlin Wall moment

— BETH SANNER, The Cipher Brief: U.S. adversaries create a web of threats

Monday Today

— The Henry L. Stimson Center, 9 a.m.: How Local Authorities Make Decisions in the Myanmar Civil War.

— Politics and Prose Bookstore, 7 p.m.: Book discussion on “Midnight in Moscow: A Memoir from the Front Lines of Russia's War Against the West.”

Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who is “naive” toward our ideas for this newsletter.

Thanks to our producer, Matt Comer, who deftly navigates all editorial disputes.

A message from Lockheed Martin:

Clear insight means stronger foresight.

When threats come from anywhere, you have to be able to communicate everywhere. Lockheed Martin’s cross-domain connectivity is key to keeping every mission on track. Learn more.