Newsom trip to China to discuss climate change filled with controversy

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) embarked on a trip to China last week and faced criticism for its stated purpose of discussing climate change and for coming during a time of global turmoil as wars rage on in both Israel and Ukraine — but now, the details of the governor’s visit are facing their own flak.

As he visited with leaders in the country, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Newsom was pressed on what he did, and didn’t, discuss with them. He was criticized for the trip’s itinerary and locations, in addition to various viral moments. Newsom has been accused of having ambitions to ascend to a higher office and has been floated as a successor to President Joe Biden as he continues to build his national and international profile.

ONLY NEWSOM CAN GO TO CHINA? CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR TAKES HIS SHOW ON THE ROAD

Here are the biggest controversies from the California governor’s trip.

Newsom knocks over child during basketball game

In a viral video that emerged from his trip, Newsom can be seen playing basketball against children. However, he appears to trip while dribbling before taking down one child. He then hugged the child and patted him playfully. The apparent accident quickly became fodder for social media critics, given the visit’s already unusual nature.

“OMG my governor is so cool and relatable! Watch him take out a small child while desperately trying to emulate Barack Obama while on a foreign visit to one of the world’s leading dictators,” Alliance of Los Angeles County Parents founder Julie Hamill wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The tumble prompted the Los Angeles Times’s Sacramento Bureau Chief Laurel Rosenhall to point to it as an example of the inherent dangers of an “indulgent” photo opportunity. She noted that Newsom donned dress shoes and nonathletic apparel for the pickup game.

Newsom skips over human rights with Xi

The California governor received backlash for failing to address human rights concerns with Xi during their meeting despite the oppression of Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang region.

“I can’t be everything to everybody every moment of every minute of every day,” he defended the omission to reporters after his meeting.

Newsom said human rights did come up with China’s foreign minister. However, he only discussed climate change and fentanyl with Xi.

Newsom begins trip in Hong Kong

His visit faced objection for its chosen beginning destination: Hong Kong. The city, a special administrative region of China, has long pushed for democracy, but these movements have often been squashed by the Chinese government.

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Newsom’s decision to stop in the city left many human rights organizations unhappy. In response, more than 50 of these organizations signed a joint statement expressing disappointment in his choice not to address human rights, especially while being in a city such as Hong Kong.

“The governor’s trip to Hong Kong cannot but signal that California is not on the same page as the United States generally with respect to the CCP’s effective takeover of Hong Kong,” said critic Times Wang of law firm Farra & Wang.