Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was asked during a vice presidential debate with Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance to clarify his previous claim that he was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen massacre. I flinched.

Despite previous claims that he was in the area during the momentous events of the spring of 1989, reliable reports from Minnesota Public Radio and other stations indicate that Walz, as the debate moderator pointed out, It is shown that he traveled to Asia several months later. when faced In response to the host's disagreement, Waltz spoke at length about his career and various accomplishments.

“So for those who didn't get this, look, I'm a small rural town in Nebraska, population 400, the town where I grew up riding my bike with friends until the street lights went out.”I'm proud of that service. “I believe that,” Walz said when asked to explain the contradictions in his claims. “I joined the National Guard at the age of 17, worked on my family's farm, then became a teacher on the GI Bill and became a young teacher with a passion for it. In the summer of 1989, my first year in the I had the opportunity to travel to

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“Let me be the first to say that I poured my heart into my community and tried my best, but I wasn't perfect. I was a bit clumsy at times, but I always was.'' That's about it.'' Waltz continued.

Walz later used the opportunity to criticize former President Donald Trump's China policy, suggesting that first-hand experience like his own might have influenced a better foreign policy strategy.

“I guarantee you he won't praise Xi Jinping on the coronavirus, and I guarantee you he won't start a trade war and end up losing,” Walz added. (Related: Waltz tells students that communism is “everyone the same and everyone has something in common.”)

However, when asked by the host for a direct answer regarding the timeline discrepancy, Walz acknowledged that his earlier statement may have been a gaffe.

“No, all I said on this matter was that I went there that summer and misspoken about this matter. So I will, that's what I said.” continued. “I was in Hong Kong and China during the beginning of the democracy movement, and I learned a lot about governance from there.”

Critics have scrutinized Walz's relationship with China, pointing to his honeymoon, his marriage on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, and his praise of China's communist regime, developments that have brought him close to the White House. China experts argue that caution is needed when doing so.

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