Port: On the campaign trail, he's a China hawk, but Doug Burgum's had a different tack here in North Dakota

""As you know, Governor Burgum supported the security review, and when it came back as a risk, he supported getting rid of the Fufeng project," Burgum campaign adviser Dawson Schefter told me by way of explaining Burgum's position."

This is a negative sentiment.

"When Donald Trump's name comes up, Burgum deflects, suggesting that it's just pundits and social media personalities who are obsessed with the disgraced former president, and that voters want to talk about real issues."

This is a negative sentiment.

"When Donald Trump's name comes up, Burgum deflects, suggesting that it's just pundits and social media personalities who are obsessed with the disgraced former president, and that voters want to talk about real issues."

This is a negative sentiment.

"So why, if he's as concerned about the threat China portends for our country as he says he is while campaigning for president, wasn't Burgum more outspoken about these issues as governor?"

This is a negative sentiment.

"Back in 2020, I reported on extensive investments of state of North Dakota dollars in countries that Burgum, the presidential candidate, has said are our enemies."

This is a negative sentiment.

"That's good, don't get me wrong, but also not exactly commensurate with the threat Burgum is portraying on the national stage."

This is a negative sentiment.

"nn75 days into his presidential campaign, it's become clear that one of the real issues Burgum likes talking about the most is China."

This is a negative sentiment.

"MINOT -- We know that Doug Burgum doesn't like talking about the frontrunner in the GOP's presidential race."

This is a negative sentiment.

"These investments of state dollars in China, and other countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia, have received plenty of media coverage during Burgum's time as governor."

This is a positive sentiment.

""We're in a cold war with China," Burgum says frequently during his media interviews."

This is a negative sentiment.

"In fairness to Burgum, these investments in companies based in nefarious and antagonistic regimes, in companies that are sometimes owned by those regimes, aren't exactly unique to North Dakota."

This is a negative sentiment.

"For the record, I agree with Burgum's position on China."

This is a positive sentiment.

"The Florida retirement system, under current Gov. Ron DeSantis, has hundreds of millions invested in China."

This is a positive sentiment.

"So how do we square this hawkishness about China, which Burgum has made a central plank of his campaign for the presidency, with his actions and demeanor as governor of North Dakota?nn"

This is a negative sentiment.

"In his first television ads, the candidate promised to "win the cold war with China."When I interviewed him on a park bench at the Iowa State Fair earlier this month, Burgum articulated some personal experience with the threat China poses, telling me about finding cut-rate, black-market copies of the accounting software his company Great Plains Software was selling."

This is a positive sentiment.

"During a recent radio interview, Burgum answered a question about the Biden administration's push toward electric cars and away from liquid fuels by pointing out that we'd just be trading OPEC, the consortium of oil-producing companies, for Sinopec, a Chinese chemical company that is becoming a major player in car batteries."

This is a positive sentiment.

"During a recent radio interview, Burgum answered a question about the Biden administration's push toward electric cars and away from liquid fuels by pointing out that we'd just be trading OPEC, the consortium of oil-producing companies, for Sinopec, a Chinese chemical company that is becoming a major player in car batteries."

This is a positive sentiment.

"The biggest "since Pearl Harbor," Haley said in an interview not so long ago."

This is a negative sentiment.

"I just wish Burgum had been more forceful about this position in the not-so-distant past."

This is a positive sentiment.

"In 2016, under the administration of then-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, that state's public retirement funds had $10.8 million invested in China."

This is a positive sentiment.