Episode

The long history between Iowa and China

Podcast: River to River
Published: Apr 15, 2026
Duration seconds: 2851
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Canonical source: https://www.iowapublicradio.org/podcast/river-to-river/2026-04-15/the-long-history-between-iowa-and-china
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Summary

From the first Iowan U.S. ambassador to Beijing, to Herbert Hoover's fortune in Chinese coal mines, to the soybean's journey from China to Iowa fields — Iowa and China’s relationship is older, stranger and more consequential than you might think. Ben Kieffer unpacks the deep and surprising ties between Iowa and China with Iowa State historian Tao Wang and political expert Jonathan Hassid.