Tim Walz floats China as ‘neutral actor’ with ‘moral authority’ to negotiate Middle East peace

Former Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., said China might be the voice of “moral authority” following Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leaders. 

During a “What’s Next: Conversations on the Path Forward” event hosted by the Center for American Progress (CAP), Walz responded to a question from CEO Neera Tanden about the “escalatory” nature of the strikes. Walz said, “Iran has to retaliate, in their mind,” and the “Middle East is back on fire in a way that has now expanded.”

“Now, who is the voice in the world that can negotiate some type of agreement in this? Who holds the moral authority? Who holds the ability to do that? Because we are not seen as a neutral actor, and we maybe never were,” Walz said of the United States’ role in de-escalating tensions in the Middle East. 

According to Walz, the United States once attempted “to be somewhat of the arbitrator” in those negotiations during the Iran Nuclear Deal, but he said Americans must face the reality that the “neutral actor” with the “moral authority” to lead negotiations in the Middle East “might be the Chinese.”

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Walz didn’t elaborate on why China would be that world leader. 

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The Democrat’s ties to China took center stage during his brief time as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate during the 2024 presidential election. 

During the 2024 campaign cycle, Fox News Digital reported that Walz had been a longtime vocal supporter of a medical research institute in his home state with a long track record of collaborating with a firm labeled by the Pentagon as a “Chinese military company” and with Chinese officials with controversial ties to the CCP.

And in a letter unearthed by Fox News Digital, Walz boasted about Minnesota hosting several top Chinese leaders. The Minnesota International Chinese School showcased a 2021 letter from Walz on its YouTube channel celebrating the 10th anniversary of the school’s Chinese New Year.

CAP, who hosted the conversation with Walz, has its own questionable ties to China. 

Fox News Digital reported in 2024 that CAP Founder John Podesta, a former Obama and Clinton administration official who was tapped by the Biden administration to serve as senior advisor to the president for clean energy innovation and implementation, has close ties to Tung Chee-hwa, a top CCP official. 

Tanden did not follow up on Walz’s claim that China might be the world leader on peace negotiations, saying sarcastically, “Well, I definitely rest easy knowing Pete Hegseth is the secretary of defense.”