Critics challenge assertion by Tim Walz that China holds moral superiority in Middle Eastern disputes
Kickin' it Casual: Tim Walz Flamed for 'Naïve' Claim on China's Moral Authority
The political world's chattering about Tim Walz, the recent ex-veep nominee hailing from Minnesota, after he suggested China could be the globe's guiding force in global moral dilemmas.
Walz stirred the pot during a recent gabfest hosted by the Center for American Progress (CAP). Neera Tanden, a former Biden White House advisor, tossed him a curveball about the escalating skirmishes between Iran and Israel. Walz's response? The United States, a biased actor, doesn't have the chops to mediate in the Middle East. Could China, the neutral party with the moral high ground, fill the void?
Walz's remarks earned him a swift bushel of criticism. Danielle Pletka, a distinguished fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), affectionately dubbed his comments as "ignorance on display." Counting China as a moral authority, she warns, is akin to inviting a wolf to guard the henhouse.
**WALZ PONDERS CHINA AS 'ARBITRATOR' FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE $$$
Governor Walz has sprung a surprise, suggesting China could act as the moral arbiter in the Middle East.
Walz's reasoning? The United States, attempting to be the region's mediator, has failed to convince others it's impartial. This leaves open the possibility that China, the "neutral actor" with the moral authority to broker peace, might be the answer.
But when pressed about China's credentials, Walz kept mum.
Andy Keiser, a senior fellow at the National Security Institute and ex-senior advisor on the House Intelligence Committee, weighed in: "Someone should remind Governor Walz that China is far from a moral authority on much of anything."
He points to China's mistreatment of the Uyghur Muslim population in Xinjiang as exhibit A. Citing reports from think tanks like the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Keiser elaborates that China has detained over a million Uyghurs in re-education camps since 2017. Furthermore, Uyghurs in the region have been subjected to surveillance, forced labor, and involuntary sterilizations.
Human Rights Watch likens the situation to "crimes against humanity."
So, who's the world's voice of reason if not China? Pletka sees a different villain: "Obviously, we are not going to be a neutral broker between a terrorist and a democratic state. That's just not how it works."
As tensions mount, it seems the world isn't waiting for China to save the day. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently told our website that President Donald Trump remains Iran's primary target.
"I don't know how anybody could have said what [Walz] said about the role that China plays. The idea that there is some neutral interlocutor in this world, that anybody is an 'honest burger' is nothing other than grad school silliness," Pletka concludes.
In the end, the notion of China as a neutral, moral mediator may just be a fleeting daydream.
- The suggestion of China as a potential mediator in Middle East peace, proposed by Governor Tim Walz, has been met with criticism, with some viewing it as naive and even comparing it to a wolf guarding the henhouse.
- The argument for China's moral authority to act as a mediator is questioned, given its treatment of the Uyghur Muslim population in Xinjiang, which has been labeled as crimes against humanity by Human Rights Watch.
- As tensions between Iran and Israel persist, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains that President Donald Trump remains Iran's primary target, seemingly indicating that the world is not waiting for China to intervene.
