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| Xi Jinping Iowa visit echoes past trips by future stars | Xi Jinping Iowa visit echoes past trips by future stars |
| (12 days later) | |
| By Kate Dailey BBC News Magazine | By Kate Dailey BBC News Magazine |
| Xi Jinping - expected to be the next president of China - is returning to the Iowa he visited as a young man. He is far from the only foreign leader to have spent time in the US before they were powerful. | Xi Jinping - expected to be the next president of China - is returning to the Iowa he visited as a young man. He is far from the only foreign leader to have spent time in the US before they were powerful. |
| On Thursday, Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping will visit Muscatine, Iowa - the same city he visited as a 31-year old in 1985. | On Thursday, Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping will visit Muscatine, Iowa - the same city he visited as a 31-year old in 1985. |
| "I thought he was a very nice, focussed, polite man," Eleanor Dvorchak, who hosted Mr Xi at her home during his stay, told the BBC. | "I thought he was a very nice, focussed, polite man," Eleanor Dvorchak, who hosted Mr Xi at her home during his stay, told the BBC. |
| "A handsome young man, and now he's a handsome older man. It was a pleasure to have him at the house." | "A handsome young man, and now he's a handsome older man. It was a pleasure to have him at the house." |
| Mr Xi felt similarly, as evidenced by his request to add Muscatine to his US agenda. | Mr Xi felt similarly, as evidenced by his request to add Muscatine to his US agenda. |
| In December, Iowa governor Terry Branstad recalled a recent conversation with Mr Xi. | In December, Iowa governor Terry Branstad recalled a recent conversation with Mr Xi. |
| "He had the itinerary from his visit here 26 years ago," Mr Branstad - who was also governor at the time of Mr Xi's first visit - told public radio's The World. | "He had the itinerary from his visit here 26 years ago," Mr Branstad - who was also governor at the time of Mr Xi's first visit - told public radio's The World. |
| Mr Xi had travelled to Iowa for as part of a Chinese delegation looking to learn more about American agriculture. | Mr Xi had travelled to Iowa for as part of a Chinese delegation looking to learn more about American agriculture. |
| "He said: 'I was in your office at the state capitol of Des Moines, on the 26th day of April, 1985,'" Mr Branstad recalled. | "He said: 'I was in your office at the state capitol of Des Moines, on the 26th day of April, 1985,'" Mr Branstad recalled. |
| "And he said he stayed with a family down in Muscatine who had two sons in college and a 13-year-old daughter. He was very impressed with the friendliness, the hospitality, and the way he was treated in Iowa." | "And he said he stayed with a family down in Muscatine who had two sons in college and a 13-year-old daughter. He was very impressed with the friendliness, the hospitality, and the way he was treated in Iowa." |
| Those positive memories, created 30 years ago, could yet pay dividends to the US. | Those positive memories, created 30 years ago, could yet pay dividends to the US. |
| "If he came away from those earlier days with a good impression, that will certainly affect how he views policy as vice-president," says Philip Seib, director of the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy. | "If he came away from those earlier days with a good impression, that will certainly affect how he views policy as vice-president," says Philip Seib, director of the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy. |
| The value of hosting international visitors as part of an academic, cultural or political exchange is vast for the host country, he says. | The value of hosting international visitors as part of an academic, cultural or political exchange is vast for the host country, he says. |
| "It's an enormous benefit. It strips away some of the mythologies that poison people's opinions about a country if they're negative. They give a chance for the visitors to meet citizens, meet average people, so the country becomes not a news-media-produced abstraction, but real people. | "It's an enormous benefit. It strips away some of the mythologies that poison people's opinions about a country if they're negative. They give a chance for the visitors to meet citizens, meet average people, so the country becomes not a news-media-produced abstraction, but real people. |
| "That generally works out quite well." | "That generally works out quite well." |
| 'Profound effect' | 'Profound effect' |
| To that end, there are several programs in the US that help promote international diplomacy through exchanges. | To that end, there are several programs in the US that help promote international diplomacy through exchanges. |
| Ban Ki-moon, the current head of the United Nations, was an exchange student in California in 1962. There, the 18-year old stayed with a school teacher and her husband, who remember that Mr Ban told them he wished to become a diplomat. | |
| The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, spent her senior year at a private school in Bethesda, Maryland, where she interned for US Congressman William S Cohen in 1974. | The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, spent her senior year at a private school in Bethesda, Maryland, where she interned for US Congressman William S Cohen in 1974. |
| According to the Washington Post, Ms Lagarde was tasked with translating mail sent from Mr Cohen's French-speaking constituents in Northern Maine during the height of Watergate. | According to the Washington Post, Ms Lagarde was tasked with translating mail sent from Mr Cohen's French-speaking constituents in Northern Maine during the height of Watergate. |
| Coming to America for study can be powerful. | Coming to America for study can be powerful. |
| "It's a very profound effect. It's life-long," says David Beiser, director of Ayusa, a non-profit cultural exchange and study-abroad organisation for high school students. | "It's a very profound effect. It's life-long," says David Beiser, director of Ayusa, a non-profit cultural exchange and study-abroad organisation for high school students. |
| He cites the Kennedy-Luger program, which sponsors students from predominantly Muslim countries to study in the US. | He cites the Kennedy-Luger program, which sponsors students from predominantly Muslim countries to study in the US. |
| "Students who have returned from a year in the US on the Kennedy-Luger program have a 77% more positive view of the US than they did before," says Mr Beiser. | "Students who have returned from a year in the US on the Kennedy-Luger program have a 77% more positive view of the US than they did before," says Mr Beiser. |
| Long history | Long history |
| Of course, when it comes to international relations, a youthful trip to the US is hardly the end of the education. | Of course, when it comes to international relations, a youthful trip to the US is hardly the end of the education. |
| In his memoir, A Journey, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said that his experiences in the US, including a diplomatic exchange, left him with the early impression that he knew America. | In his memoir, A Journey, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said that his experiences in the US, including a diplomatic exchange, left him with the early impression that he knew America. |
| "I had made a tour for a month in 1986 which the government had provided for up-and-coming politicians. I had even seen the Charleston Regatta, and Jerry Lee Lewis play live!" he wrote. | "I had made a tour for a month in 1986 which the government had provided for up-and-coming politicians. I had even seen the Charleston Regatta, and Jerry Lee Lewis play live!" he wrote. |
| However, he said, it was not until he left the office of Prime Minister in 2007 that he began to fully understand the United States. | However, he said, it was not until he left the office of Prime Minister in 2007 that he began to fully understand the United States. |
| "The reality was, I was woefully ignorant," he wrote. | "The reality was, I was woefully ignorant," he wrote. |
| And while current UK Deputy PM Nick Clegg has fond memories of taking a cross-country road trip during his stint in America, he also campaigned in 2010 on the idea that America and Britain's "special relationship" was too one-sided in favour of the US. | And while current UK Deputy PM Nick Clegg has fond memories of taking a cross-country road trip during his stint in America, he also campaigned in 2010 on the idea that America and Britain's "special relationship" was too one-sided in favour of the US. |
| Mr Clegg spent the 1989 school year at the University of Minnesota, then worked for Christopher Hitchens as a fact-checker in New York City. | Mr Clegg spent the 1989 school year at the University of Minnesota, then worked for Christopher Hitchens as a fact-checker in New York City. |
| It is also not clear whether Mr Xi's fond memories will be enough to make a significant difference in the future of US-China relations. | It is also not clear whether Mr Xi's fond memories will be enough to make a significant difference in the future of US-China relations. |
| After all, he is not the first Chinese dignitary to spend some of his early career in the US. | After all, he is not the first Chinese dignitary to spend some of his early career in the US. |
| The state department cites dozens of leaders who have travelled to the US on diplomatic exchanges, including Vice-Premier Li Keqiang, who came on a 1988 exchange when he was 33. | The state department cites dozens of leaders who have travelled to the US on diplomatic exchanges, including Vice-Premier Li Keqiang, who came on a 1988 exchange when he was 33. |
| The current president of Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou, also took a trip to the US as a young man. In the early 1970s, the 21-year old travelled to the country as part of the state department's International Visitor Leadership scheme. | The current president of Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou, also took a trip to the US as a young man. In the early 1970s, the 21-year old travelled to the country as part of the state department's International Visitor Leadership scheme. |
| He also spent years in the US as a student at New York University and Harvard Law School. | He also spent years in the US as a student at New York University and Harvard Law School. |
| But Ms Dvorchak, who hosted Mr Xi so many years ago, is optimistic that her former house guest's visit in the 1980s will help enhance the US-China relationship. | But Ms Dvorchak, who hosted Mr Xi so many years ago, is optimistic that her former house guest's visit in the 1980s will help enhance the US-China relationship. |
| "Before anything can get accomplished, two entities have to be talking," she says. | "Before anything can get accomplished, two entities have to be talking," she says. |
| "It went well in '85 and I'm sure everything will go well today." | "It went well in '85 and I'm sure everything will go well today." |