The long history between Iowa and China

The long history between Iowa and China

From River to River by Iowa Public Radio

April 15, 2026 · 48 min

About this episode

The episode explores the complex and historical ties between Iowa and China.

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.

People in this episode

Host: Ben Kieffer

Guests: Tao Wang, Jonathan Hassid

Topics covered

  • Iowa-China relations
  • history
  • politics
  • agriculture
  • international relations

Keywords

  • Iowa
  • China
  • history
  • agriculture
  • politics
  • Herbert Hoover
  • soybeans

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Iowa State

Places: Iowa, China

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