America's heartland greets China's VP as an old friend
Source: Agencies |
February 17, 2012, Friday
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CHINESE Vice President Xi Jinping received a warm welcome in the US heartland yesterday, moving from Washington and talks on contentious international issues to Iowa, where he was hailed as an old friend.
Xi joined Iowa Governor Terry Branstad for a state dinner attended by several hundred business and government leaders, and enjoyed a meal of Iowa-raised pork tenderloin, Angus beef and soybean and corn salad.
Branstad invited Xi to Iowa to tout the state's agricultural riches and reconnect Xi with Iowans he met during a 1980s trade trip.
Xi said he enjoyed his time in the Midwestern state, both in 1985 and this week. He described Americans as "honest, warm-hearted, hard-working, friendly" and said there was a "tremendous reservoir of goodwill" between the Chinese and American people.
"You can't even imagine what a deep impression I had from my visit 27 years ago to Muscatine, because you were the first group of Americans that I came into contact with," he told a gathering in a Muscatine home with 17 people he met more than 25 years ago.
"My impression of the country came from you. For me, you are America," he said through an interpreter.
In 1985, Xi was a county official from Hebei, Iowa's sister province in northern China. Xi spent two nights during his visit at the home of Eleanor and Tom Dvorchak, staying in their son's bedroom and struggling to chat to their daughter without an interpreter. "She was very curious and asked us many questions, such as whether we had seen American movies," Xi said.
City Mayor DeWayne Hopkins said Xi cut an "electrifying" figure during the meeting. "He was very pleasing to look at, very pleasing to talk to, and to shake his hand," he said.
Xi gave his hosts souvenirs wrapped in decorative Chinese paper and was given a framed copy of the front page of the May 8, 1985, edition of the Muscatine Journal that featured him in a group picture.
Before leaving Washington, Xi had offered deeper cooperation with the United States on trade and security, citing Iran and North Korea, but called on Washington to heed China's demands on contentious "core interests" such as Taiwan and Tibet.
"History demonstrates that whenever each side handles relatively well the issues bearing on the other side's core and major interests, then Sino-US relations are quite smooth and stable. But when it is the contrary, there are incessant troubles," Xi said.
"China welcomes the United States playing a constructive role in promoting the peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region, and at the same time we hope the US side will truly respect the interests and concerns of countries in the region, including China," said Xi.
Xi joined Iowa Governor Terry Branstad for a state dinner attended by several hundred business and government leaders, and enjoyed a meal of Iowa-raised pork tenderloin, Angus beef and soybean and corn salad.
Branstad invited Xi to Iowa to tout the state's agricultural riches and reconnect Xi with Iowans he met during a 1980s trade trip.
Xi said he enjoyed his time in the Midwestern state, both in 1985 and this week. He described Americans as "honest, warm-hearted, hard-working, friendly" and said there was a "tremendous reservoir of goodwill" between the Chinese and American people.
"You can't even imagine what a deep impression I had from my visit 27 years ago to Muscatine, because you were the first group of Americans that I came into contact with," he told a gathering in a Muscatine home with 17 people he met more than 25 years ago.
"My impression of the country came from you. For me, you are America," he said through an interpreter.
In 1985, Xi was a county official from Hebei, Iowa's sister province in northern China. Xi spent two nights during his visit at the home of Eleanor and Tom Dvorchak, staying in their son's bedroom and struggling to chat to their daughter without an interpreter. "She was very curious and asked us many questions, such as whether we had seen American movies," Xi said.
City Mayor DeWayne Hopkins said Xi cut an "electrifying" figure during the meeting. "He was very pleasing to look at, very pleasing to talk to, and to shake his hand," he said.
Xi gave his hosts souvenirs wrapped in decorative Chinese paper and was given a framed copy of the front page of the May 8, 1985, edition of the Muscatine Journal that featured him in a group picture.
Before leaving Washington, Xi had offered deeper cooperation with the United States on trade and security, citing Iran and North Korea, but called on Washington to heed China's demands on contentious "core interests" such as Taiwan and Tibet.
"History demonstrates that whenever each side handles relatively well the issues bearing on the other side's core and major interests, then Sino-US relations are quite smooth and stable. But when it is the contrary, there are incessant troubles," Xi said.
"China welcomes the United States playing a constructive role in promoting the peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region, and at the same time we hope the US side will truly respect the interests and concerns of countries in the region, including China," said Xi.
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