Healey’s China Photo-Op Sparks Outrage as Critics Slam Embrace of Communist Regime
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey ignited a political firestorm this week after proudly announcing her face-to-face meeting with a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official. On Wednesday, the Democrat governor posted smiling photos on X alongside Ambassador Chen Li, the CCP’s consul general in New York—complete with matching bracelets and talk of “future collaboration.”
“Grateful for the opportunity,” Healey gushed on social media, noting China’s status as a top trading partner and Massachusetts’ sizable Chinese-American population. “Glad to welcome Ambassador H.E. Chen Li… and grateful for the opportunity to discuss future collaboration!”
In a press release, Healey went further, claiming shared economic and cultural values between the Commonwealth and the CCP. “We discussed our commitment to continuing to work together for the benefit of our people and our economy,” she wrote.
But the optics of her warm welcome have drawn swift backlash—particularly from Republican challenger Mike Kennealy, who blasted Healey’s naivety.
“Why is Maura Healey rolling out the red carpet for the Chinese Communist Party?” Kennealy asked. “This is embarrassingly naive.”
Kennealy wasn’t alone in his outrage. Critics pointed to China’s ongoing fentanyl exports, rampant intellectual property theft, and its failure to deliver on a $1 billion MBTA rail car contract as proof the CCP is no partner to trust. “The CCP sends fentanyl to the USA to kill our kids,” Kennealy continued. “When I’m Governor, this ends.”
A PR Misfire in the Making?
With growing bipartisan concern over China’s global influence, military expansion, and human rights abuses, Healey’s feel-good diplomacy may backfire. What she pitched as a gesture of cultural exchange is being interpreted by many as tone-deaf capitulation to a hostile foreign power.
As tensions with China continue to escalate over Taiwan, trade, and espionage, Healey’s bracelet diplomacy may become a political liability—not just a photo-op.
