Tim Walz and China: Close personal ties and sharp criticism of Beijing

NEW YORK -- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, selected to be the running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Donald Trump in the U.S. election in November, has visited China numerous times and has emerged as a sharp critic of Beijing on human rights and other issues.

Before entering politics, Walz was one of the first teachers to educate students in China in 1989 as part of Harvard University's WorldTeach program. He taught at a school in Guangdong province, where his students nicknamed him "Fields of China," according to an interview he gave in 2007.