
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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