Chinese President Xi Jinping's ties to Iowa, explained
Chinese President Xi Jinping has an unexpected, decadeslong tie to rural Iowa, maintaining a friendship from across the Pacific with an 87-year-old Iowan woman from the city of Muscatine.
TL;DR
- Xi Jinping first visited rural Iowa in 1985 to study agriculture.
- During his visit, he befriended Sarah and Roger Lande from Muscatine, Iowa.
- Xi has maintained a friendship with Sarah Lande through letters over the decades.
- He also befriended then-Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who later served as U.S. ambassador to China.
- Xi met with the Iowa delegation, including the Landes and Branstad, in 2012 and again in 2023.
- Xi has expressed the importance of his connection to Iowa, calling his bond "indissoluble."
- He views his friendships in Iowa as a significant part of his connection to America.