Des Moines event marks 40th anniversary of Xi's first Iowa visit

A commemorative event marking the 40th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to the U.S. state of Iowa was held on Thursday in Des Moines, the state capital.

Hosted by Iowa Sister States, the event brought together representatives from the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the governments of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang City, and Zhengding County, and about 150 attendees, including Xi's longtime friends in Iowa and individuals from various sectors committed to fostering friendship.

Participants fondly recalled the warm moments from Xi's two visits to Iowa, unanimously agreeing that his first visit to the state 40 years ago planted the seeds of friendship.

Over the past four decades, thanks to Xi's personal attention and long-standing support, subnational and people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, particularly between Hebei Province and the state of Iowa, have yielded fruitful results.

Looking ahead, both sides expressed a shared commitment to continuously strengthening cooperation and exchanges in areas such as sister city partnerships, youth engagement, and people-to-people initiatives, working together to write a new chapter in the friendship between the Chinese and American people.

Former U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad expressed hope that open dialogue would help resolve differences and further strengthen China-U.S. relations.

"We are very different in terms of our political systems, but our people have a lot of similarities. I'm impressed with the work ethic of the Chinese people, with their commitment to education, with their family values. And I think that's very similar to what we have here in Iowa. So, we are very hopeful that we'll work out the differences, and it will be beneficial to both the United States and China, and to the whole world," said Branstad.

Youth representatives from Hebei and Iowa presented a joint cultural performance during the event. A series of side activities were also held, including a youth exchange photo exhibition and an intangible cultural heritage display.

Des Moines event marks 40th anniversary of Xi's first Iowa visit

The 139th China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair, is seeing steady, high-quality growth in buyer attendance with an increasingly diversified global market reach, an official from the China Foreign Trade Center (CFTC) said at a press briefing on Friday.

According to the CFTC, pre-registrations for the upcoming fair have surpassed 210,000, marking a 20 percent year-on-year increase. The new buyers mainly come from countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, with rapid increases also seen from regions including Latin America and Africa.

Zhu Yong, director of the China Foreign Trade Center, outlined the key characteristics of the pre-registered buyers and their procurement priorities.

"For the first time, professional buyers account for over 70 percent of total pre-registrations. These buyers have demonstrated robust demand for China's new, green and smart products, with electrical and electronic products, consumer electronics, and power and electrical equipment ranking as the top three categories for pre-registered purchasing intentions," she said.

Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is held every spring and autumn in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. As the longest-running comprehensive international trade event in China, it is widely regarded as a barometer of China's foreign trade. It has been successfully held for 138 sessions and has helped establish trade relations with more than 229 countries and regions around the world.

The upcoming 139th edition is scheduled to take place from April 15 to May 5, 2026.

139th Canton Fair sees rise in buyer quality, market diversity: official