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MUSCATINE – News agencies across the world carried photos recently of the historic first meeting between new U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi is one of the most powerful men in the world, and yet a group of Muscatine residents fondly refer to him as one of their “old friends.”

For, indeed, that’s what Xi is to them. They are assured that the feeling is mutual.

The city of Muscatine and its people have enjoyed a special relationship with the Chinese leader, and to his country, since he visited the community with a delegation of young people in 1985.

Xi was the leader of the delegation of five representatives who came to Iowa from its Sister State of Hebei Province to study agricultural methods. Little did the Muscatine community realize at the time that it was hosting the future president of China.

Sarah Lande was one of the coordinators of that 1985 visit, witnessing these remarks by Xi to Muscatine residents: “The impression of the U.S. is very good, I think. We have seen a lot of your advanced technology. The people here are very warm and very friendly. They, too, have left us a very deep impression.”