Chinese state media on Monday gushed over visiting Governor Gavin Newsom of California, praising the “sincere and warm” Democrat for his “deep connection” with China and hoping his week-long trip would “play a positive role for bilateral ties.” Newsom’s deep ties with the Chinese Communist government included sending his lieutenant governor, Eleni Kounalakis, to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in 2019. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China’s massive effort to spread its political influence across the developing world, and even into Europe, by persuading client states to take out gigantic loans from Chinese...