Tim Walz made an impression in China, students and teachers say

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz taught English and U.S. history to around 300 students in China in 1989 .

Walz was a teacher at Foshan No . 1 Middle School in southern China .

"He was quite lively and very approachable," a former colleague says.

"This world needs people like him — people with integrity — to lead," a Chinese woman says.

Republican critics have raised concerns about Nebraska Gov. Tim Walz's connection to China .

Walz has made about 30 trips to China , one former student says.

Republicans are investigating whether Walz is pro- China Marxist .

The Chinese government has remained silent after Walz was selected as Harris ' running mate.

“I don’t think that the Chinese government has the impression that Tim Walz will definitely implement a pro- China policy under the current political environment in the United States ,” he says. As NPR has learned, Foshan No . 1 Middle School, where Walz once taught, has instructed its teachers not to give independent interviews about "an American who previously worked as a foreign teacher at school," without specifically mentioning Walz by name. Aowen Cao contributed reporting from Beijing . Copyright 2024 NPR .