China, Iowa, and diplomacy in the Trump administration
The University of Iowa Public Policy Center hosted “China, Iowa, and diplomacy in the Trump administration,” a panel and Q&A, at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 3, in Shambaugh Auditorium in the UI Main Library, 125 West Washington Street.
A group of former ambassadors and China experts – all currently living in Iowa – discussed several topics, including U.S./China relations in the Trump administration, Iowa’s role in the United States’ relationship with China, Branstad as ambassador and the impact for Iowa and trade, and how Branstad’s selection fits within the broader vision of diplomacy in the Trump administration.
Panelists included:
- Mary Kramer, former Iowa State Senator from 1990 to 2003 and U.S. ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean from 2004 to 2006;
- Ronald McMullen, former career diplomat and U.S. ambassador to the State of Eritrea from 2007 to 2010, and current Ambassador in Residence in the UI Department of Political Science;
- Bill Niebur, President and CEO of Origin Agritech and former Vice President and General Manager with strategic oversight responsibility for China, East Asia and Oceania for DuPont Pioneer;
- Wenfang Tang, UI Stanley Hua Hsia Professor of Political Science and International Studies, whose current research focuses on public opinion and political change in contemporary China.
Lynn Hicks, Opinion and Engagement Editor for The Des Moines Register, and Ben Kieffer, host of Iowa Public Radio’s River to River, moderated the discussion.
The Des Moines Register, Iowa Public Radio, UI International Programs, the UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the UI Department of Political Science co-sponsored the event.
To listen to Iowa Public Radio's condensed version of the event, click here. Full video of the event is below.
