2015年CRI Old Friends Await Xi's Arrival（在线收听）

The town of Muscatine, Iowa is nestled along the banks of the Mississippi River.

While somewhat nondescript, the community of some 20-thousand people has special meaning for Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He first visited the town in 1985 when he was a junior politician, spending time in Muscatine as part of a provincial agriculture delegation from Hebei.

27-years later in 2012, he made a second visit as Chinese vice-President.

Sarah Lande met Xi Jinping the first time in 1985, putting him up as a guest in her home.

"We all came in the door, and we welcomed Xi Jinping to our home. This is Xi Jinping and he gave this bear to my granddaughter Lucy, and this is my son, and she named the bear China."

Meeting Xi Jinping at that time 30-years ago created a sense of interest in China for Lande.

She's since travelled to China several times, and had a chance to meet with her old friend, then-vice-President Xi Jinping, 3-years ago in Beijing.

Xi Jinping's time in Muscatine has turned the community into a cause-celeb for Chinese media.

Muscatine Mayor DeWayne Hopkins says people in his community remain the same as they did 30-years ago, with hospitality still being key to the city.

"One of the statements that Xi Jinping made several years ago was that to him, we are America-meaning us folks here in Muscatine-because of the way he was treated in 1985."

And at the same time, Hopkins says if people in China want to better understand average Americans, they need not look any further than his community.

"We, from Muscatine, tend to ignore the big political overtures that take place in Washington, D.C., and Beijing and so forth, and we focus in on- if there is such a thing as a focus- the people-to-people relationships."

Xi Jinping's old friend, Sarah Lande, says in the end, she belives its inter-personal relationships which can help China and the United States get past their differences.

"I hope we can focus on the positive things and keep working through. There are differences from both points of view. But the people, the people of both countries enjoy each other."

For CRI, I'm Luo Wen.