A brief summary of the article:
-
Kamala Harris does not have much experience with China, and neither does China with Kamala Harris. In contrast, Tim Walz has plenty of experience with China. A Harris-Walz Administration is more difficult for them to predict as a result. At best, it may be a continuation of Biden's policies towards China, with (perhaps) a greater emphasis on human rights.
-
The Harris-Walz ticket complicates some of China's propaganda about the US as being an extremely racist and misogynistic nation. (While these accusations are not necessarily false, they are exaggerated and often used to distract from China’s own issues in these areas.)
-
Chinese propaganda took advantage of Biden vs Trump by portraying America as being led to by two very weak, failing, old men. Biden willingly stepping aside for Harris compromised that narrative, and now the CCP is worried their own citizens might question Xi Jinping’s capabilities. This is especially notable because Xi has made himself President until death.
-
Tim Walz was in China at the same time as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, taught English and American history there, and has organized school trips to visit China – often remarking about the “warm welcome” he received there. However, in Congress Walz has been very critical of the CCP’s human rights violations and supported bills aimed at punishing China for violating human rights. A scholar for a Shanghai news outlet wrote, “it is difficult to determine whether these actions reflect Walz’s personal views and positions, but at the least it points to the Democratic Party’s recent ideas and biases”.
-
This then leads into China’s apparent preference for the Republican Party rather than the Democratic party. Even going back to Mao, the CCP believes the Republican Party will approach issues (such as Taiwan) as more of a business transaction. In contrast, they believe the Democrats will express more concerns regarding the CCP’s track record with Human Rights and will be more immovable when it comes to Taiwan for fear of appearing weak.
-
Lastly, when Obama visited in 2009 he wanted to meet with Chinese university students in a sort of “town hall” which put Chinese officials on edge. With Xi Jinping at China’s helm, this would be even more difficult to accomplish.