Xi's unique bonding with America

Sarah Lande, hailing from the small Iowa city of Muscatine, has a special bond with Chinese President Xi Jinping since 1985.

She has even published a memoir titled Old Friends: The Xi Jinping-Iowa Story in 2017.

"Our relationship started with friendship. It has continued to grow through the years as people of all ages and all interests have had the opportunity to learn and share each other's culture, history and government," Lande told the audience at the Vision China event in New York through a video recording.

Lande first met Xi when he led a delegation to the riverfront city in southeast Iowa "to learn to feed his people" in 1985.

"He came to Muscatine, visited farms, had a boat ride on the Mississippi (River), stayed at the family house, and I was honored to have a potluck dinner hosting him in my home," Lande said.

When Xi revisited Muscatine in 2012 to meet with his "old friends" there, Lande hosted him and his delegation at her Muscatine home, and the friendship was renewed, she said.

At the reunion, Xi told Lande and others, "You were the first people in America I met, and to me you are America."

Years of exchanges between China and Iowa made Lande publish the memoir. It was inspired by the memories and impressions written by the four gentlemen who were part of the 1985 delegation to Iowa led by Xi.

In November last year, Lande and other longtime friends were invited to meet with Xi when he was attending the APEC forum in San Francisco. There, Xi announced a program to invite 50,000 US citizen students to visit China and to get to know the language and culture.

"President Xi's generous support of youth education exchange has resulted in over 40 Muscatine High School students, educators and citizens traveling to China this year," Lande said.

She said the special relationship has resulted in numerous exchange visits to Muscatine this year. A Chinese delegation brought dances and acrobatics to Muscatine to celebrate Chinese New Year with local residents.

A dragon boat festival was held to savor a piece of Chinese traditions. High-ranking officials from Beijing and Hebei province visited the city.

Those "old friends" also participated in events in China and at the Chinese embassy in the US. About 120 students are taking Chinese-language classes at Muscatine High School. More exchanges are planned for the fall and next year.

"At this time, the world, our Earth needs the bright minds and big hearts of the peoples and leaders of the two largest economies to work together to solve critical issues of the day, including climate, food security, drugs and conflicts," she concluded.

Lande shared an August message from Xi in which the president said: "I thank you for your long-term efforts to promote cultural exchanges and people's goodwill between China and the United States. I count on you to continue to play your role as envoy of friendship between our two countries and make greater contributions to the friendship between our two peoples."