Walz, with Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Patrick Murphy, speaking on a spending bill, 2007
The House Oversight Committee has initiated an investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz due to his multiple connections to China. These ties include a student exchange program funded by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the presence of a Chinese secret police station in the Twin Cities, and other significant links.
Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) announced the investigation in response to reports highlighting Governor Walz’s extensive associations with entities and officials connected to the CCP. The House Oversight Committee emphasized that Walz has made 30 trips to China, held a fellowship at a Chinese institution loyal to the CCP, and spoken alongside the president of a Chinese organization identified by the State Department as part of a CCP effort to influence and co-opt local leaders. The FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force has informed the Committee that it investigates CCP activities similar to those in which Walz has been involved.
In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Chairman Comer has requested access to documents, communications, and information related to the CCP-connected entities and officials that Governor Walz has engaged with.
“Americans deserve to fully understand the extent of Governor Walz’s relationship with China,” Comer stated. He cited several examples of Walz’s connections, including his numerous visits to China, his fellowship at a CCP-affiliated institution, and his participation in events with CCP-influenced leaders.
Walz’s relationship with China is long-standing and multifaceted, beginning with a student exchange program funded by the CCP. Peter Schweizer, a New York Times bestselling author and senior contributor to Breitbart News, pointed out that while it’s one thing to appreciate Chinese culture, it’s another to establish an exchange program under CCP influence. Schweizer highlighted that Walz’s program was organized with the CCP’s assistance, and students involved were reportedly advised to “downplay” their American identity during their time in China. This approach, Schweizer argued, is contrary to the typical goal of cultural exchange, which is to learn about and share one’s own culture.
Walz’s ties to China extend beyond the student exchange program. In 2019, he delivered a speech to an organization that Schweizer described as a front for the CCP. Furthermore, Walz, who chose to get married on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, often speaks warmly about China, downplaying human rights issues by drawing dubious comparisons to historical events in the United States.
Schweizer also brought attention to the presence of Chinese “secret police stations” in the U.S., including one in the Twin Cities. These stations, which work with Chinese intelligence, are used by the CCP to intimidate Chinese nationals in the U.S. who are critical of the Chinese government. These operations have even included the abduction of Chinese residents in the U.S. and their forced return to China.
One such station in Minnesota is linked to an organization called Minnesota Global, which is associated with Governor Walz. Despite his vocal criticism of local police, particularly following the events of 2020, Walz has not addressed the activities of the Chinese secret police station operating in his state.
Schweizer questioned why Walz has been silent on this issue, suggesting a disconnect between his criticism of American law enforcement and his apparent reluctance to confront similar abuses by Chinese operatives in Minnesota.
The House Oversight Committee, led by Republicans, appears determined to investigate and clarify the nature and extent of Governor Walz’s connections to China.
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