Overview

• At a Center for American Progress event on June 13, Walz questioned who holds the neutral “moral authority” to broker peace between Israel and Iran and proposed it “might be the Chinese.”
• He argued that the United States lost its impartial image after its role in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and is no longer viewed as an unbiased mediator.
• The remark reignited scrutiny of Walz’s decades-long interactions with China, including past lessons praising its communal governance and multiple official visits.
• GOP figures such as Sen. Tom Cotton and former intelligence director Richard Grenell have denounced Walz’s comments and spurred a House Oversight Committee inquiry into his China ties.
• Human rights advocates warn that entrusting China with negotiations risks overlooking its documented abuses against Uyghur Muslims and other minority groups.