Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz has come under scrutiny following a report on his ties to Chinese officials and institutions, highlighted in a letter uncovered by Fox News Digital.

In the letter, Walz boasted about Minnesota’s longstanding relationship with Chinese leaders and celebrated connections between the state and China, particularly through educational and cultural exchange.

The letter, sent to the Minnesota International Chinese School in 2021, marked the 10th anniversary of the school’s Chinese New Year celebration. “Minnesota has a longstanding relationship with the people of China,” Walz stated. “The state has promoted Minnesota’s connections with China and has hosted numerous senior Chinese leaders for decades.”

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The letter further praised the “growth of education, trade, and investment opportunities” between Minnesota and China.

The timing of Walz’s letter coincided with a recorded greeting from Zhao Jian, China’s Consul General in Chicago, which the school shared on its YouTube channel.

Jian’s involvement with Walz has raised eyebrows recently, particularly after the House Oversight Committee noted a meeting between Jian and Walz earlier this year to discuss “China-U.S. relations and sub-national cooperation.”

Although the specific details of their discussions were not disclosed, a 2022 report from the Biden administration’s Director of National Intelligence (DNI) underscored the role U.S.-based Chinese consulates play in “foreign influence operations” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

On March 20, Consul General Zhao Jian met with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz at the Minnesota State Capitol and they exchanged views on China-U.S. relations and sub-national cooperation. pic.twitter.com/ONDue0Zexe

— ChinaConsulateChicago (@ChinaConsulate) April 2, 2024

Walz’s long-standing ties with China trace back to his early career. In 1989, he participated in a teaching-abroad program in Guangdong, where he taught English and American history.

Though initially thought to have made numerous trips to China, Walz’s campaign clarified that he has visited approximately 15 times, including a 1994 honeymoon trip.

In a prior interview, Walz commented on his experiences in China, stating, “I don’t fall into the category that China necessarily needs to be an adversarial relationship,” though he emphasized the importance of a firm stance on issues like the South China Sea.

Comments made by Walz in the 1990s have resurfaced amid scrutiny of his stance on China.

During a 1991 lesson, he described the Communist system as one where “everyone is the same, and everyone shares,” adding that the Chinese system provides housing and food to workers.

Reflecting on his time in China, Walz noted he had been “treated exceptionally well,” adding that he received “more gifts than I could bring home.”

Fox News Digital also reported that an internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) message recently flagged Harris’s selection of Walz as vice-presidential nominee as potentially feeding into efforts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to increase influence over U.S. policymakers. “Walt’s [sic] got the VP,” the message read. The sender, whose identity remains redacted, warned, “It’s seriously a line of the intel. Target someone who is perceived they can get to DC.”

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer cited the DHS message in a recent letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, pointing to it as an example of “concerns about the CCP’s influence operations as they related to Governor Walz.”

Comer stated that the DHS possesses communications in which officials express concerns about the CCP targeting U.S. politicians, particularly at state and local levels.

Walz has also faced questions over ties to a Minnesota-based medical research institute with a history of collaboration with organizations linked to the Chinese military.

In 2014, Walz welcomed a delegation from China to the institute, including Wang Yanling, the vice governor of Henan Province and a prominent figure within the Communist Party.

Yanling is one of several CCP-affiliated officials who have reportedly served on the Henan Cancer Institute’s board of directors.

As the Harris-Walz ticket heads into the final days of the campaign, these revelations have stirred concerns among lawmakers and intelligence officials about the potential influence of CCP-aligned individuals and institutions on U.S. political figures.

The attention to Walz’s long-standing ties to China adds an unexpected dimension to the vice-presidential nominee’s campaign trail.