Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz faces scrutiny over his alleged connections to China, including his support for a medical research institute linked to a "Chinese military company."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, has come under investigation by the House Oversight Committee over his alleged ties to China. Concerns have been raised about Walz's longtime support for the Hormel Institute, a medical research center with extensive collaborations with the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), which the Pentagon has labeled as a "Chinese military company."
House Investigation Probes Walz's Close Ties to China
The Hormel Institute has conducted significant research with BGI, involving genetic sequencing studies and the use of BGI's analysis facilities. The National Security Commission on AI has expressed concerns about BGI serving as a data collection mechanism for Chinese gene databases.
Dr. Zigang Dong, the former executive director of the Hormel Institute, stepped down abruptly in 2019 amid an FBI investigation into his "possible failure to report foreign backing when applying for grants." Dong had also established the China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute (CUHCI), a multimillion-dollar partnership with a research facility in China.
House Investigation Probes Walz's Close Ties to China
Walz has been an ardent supporter of the Hormel Institute's expansion and has helped secure funding for its technology acquisitions. In 2008, he advocated for a $5 million federal earmark for the institute's International Center of Research Technology. He also welcomed a delegation from China to the institute in 2014, which included a Communist Party doctor, Wang Yanling.
FEC filings reveal that Dong has been a major donor to Walz's political campaigns, contributing over $200 to his congressional campaigns since 2005. Two of Walz's former congressional aides have also visited the Hormel Institute to discuss potential support.
House Investigation Probes Walz's Close Ties to China
Experts have warned that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is actively involved in subverting U.S. foreign policy through cancer research centers. Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, suggests that CCP's research aims to advance its nuclear warfare capabilities.
Walz has made dozens of trips to China, with one reportedly doubling as his honeymoon. He has expressed support for cooperative relations with China, despite concerns about the regime's human rights abuses.
House Investigation Probes Walz's Close Ties to China
The House Oversight Committee is investigating Walz's ties to China, including his connections to entities linked to the CCP. Walz's campaign has not yet commented on the investigation.
The Hormel Institute in Minnesota has stated that it has no affiliation with the China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute in China. It has also taken steps to distance itself from the institute, requesting it to cease using the Hormel name.
House Investigation Probes Walz's Close Ties to China
