Tim Walz, the running mate of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the US Presidential elections, is under scrutiny for his alleged relationship with the daughter of a Chinese Communist Party official. Jenna Wang, now 59, claimed she had a passionate love affair with Mr Walz when he was a young high school English teacher in the Chinese province of Guangdong in 1989. Their relationship, according to Ms Wang, was filled with affection and plans for a future together – but ultimately ended in a heartbreak that left her contemplating suicide, the NY Post reported.
Ms Wang shared details of her romance with Mr Walz, now the governor of Minnesota, and recounted the emotional toll their breakup took on her. “I was deeply insulted, hurt, and I had to leave that place because many people knew that we had a relationship,” Wang said, adding she believed their relationship was heading towards marriage.
Ms Wang recalls how Mr Walz’s departure back to the US shattered her expectations. She alleged he wrote to her after his return, even requesting a passport-sized photo, which she interpreted as a step towards securing a visa for her to join him in America.
According to Ms Wang, the couple’s connection was initially strong, with Tim Walz gifting her gold jewellery and high-waisted blue jeans. They spent time enjoying karaoke and tea, she said, but their romance had to remain discreet to avoid disapproval from Wang’s father, Bin Hui, a labour union leader who would not have welcomed his daughter’s involvement with a Westerner.
In an open letter, Ms Wang recounted how Mr Walz initially appeared to her as a genuine partner. “We were like husband and wife at first,” she wrote, describing the early days of their romance. But her hopes began to falter when Walz allegedly questioned her true intentions, suggesting she might only be interested in a visa rather than a life with him. This moment, Ms Wang said, was crushing: “I was giving it up to be with Tim, to get married and start a family,” she told, as per The NY Post.
She claimed Mr Walz ultimately gave up on the idea of marrying her, leaving her feeling “cheap and common, as if I was being treated like a prostitute.” She eventually left China for Italy.
In the years that followed, Tim Walz returned to China in 1993 to lead a student exchange programme, but he and Ms Wang never met again. Back in the US, Mr Walz married Gwen Whipple on June 4, 1994.
Ms Wang’s feelings about the alleged relationship have not softened with time. Reflecting on his actions, she said, “A man like this does not appear to have the character and integrity to do one of the most important jobs in the world.”
She asserted that Mr. Walz ultimately abandoned the prospect of marrying her, which left her feeling “cheap and common, as if I was being treated like a prostitute.” Subsequently, she departed from China to Italy.
In the subsequent years, Tim Walz returned to China in 1993 to oversee a student exchange program; however, he and Ms. Wang never crossed paths again. Upon his return to the United States, Mr. Walz wed Gwen Whipple on June 4, 1994.
Ms. Wang’s sentiments regarding the purported relationship have not diminished over time. Contemplating his behavior, she remarked, “A man like this does not appear to have the character and integrity to undertake one of the most significant roles in the world.”
