‘We like the common people,’ Chinese TV producer says

By Kay Luna

Quad-City Times

MUSCATINE - Walking around downtown Muscatine with a camera in his hand, a native of China - wearing a stocking cap on his head - stopped to snap a photo of a building.

Li Tian, an independent producer for Chinese television, wanted to show what it's like in this small, Midwestern town, adding that Xi Jinping's visit is bringing Muscatine to the spotlight in China.

“They will know now,” the 61-year-old said, explaining that he is helping report on Xi's visit for his friends in the Chinese media.

Before the rain sent people inside Wednesday afternoon, the downtown buzzed with energy in anticipation of Xi's visit, as more and more media trucks arrived.

Among those visitors was Tian, a native of Beijing. He traveled from New York City, where he lives half of the year to be closer to his only child, a daughter, to Muscatine, where he's been talking to people and taking photos.

He said people should know more about Xi's background to understand why this visit is so meaningful.

Tian explained that about 40 years ago, China went through a revolution, and young men his age - about the same age as Xi - had no choice but to go to the countryside to find work.

Tian worked as a farmer for three years. He said Xi worked on a farm for seven years.

Things got better, and both men eventually were able to return to cities and go to college. But that farm experience shaped Xi, Tian said.

“This is why we like farmers,” Tian said. “We like the common people. This makes Xi different from other leaders in China. We know the country people.”

Earlier in the afternoon, while on a downtown shopping errand, 59-year-old Tim Stelzner said he thinks Xi's visit is a good thing for world relations and a good thing for Muscatine, where he's lived all his life.

“It's fun to learn about different cultures,” he said. “It's nice that he'll get to see how we live, and I'm sure that will reflect back to his country somehow.”

Down the block, inside a hair salon, 19-year-old Adalberto Ibarra of Muscatine talked excitedly about Xi as a woman cut his hair. Wearing a green cape, Ibarra said he wishes he could get closer to the action, but he was heading to work soon after.

“I do think it's awesome,” he said.

Ibarra beamed, adding that he learned Chinese in high school. He demonstrated his skills by saying, “I know Chinese,” in that language.

Around town, some businesses had posted signs, welcoming the vice president.

Several reporters and TV affiliates were seen around town, too, including a crew from NBC in Chicago, setting up a shot in front of the Muscatine County Courthouse.

But others around Muscatine didn't seem as interested. Several said were too busy working to pay attention to Xi's visit, and one woman said she didn't even know it was happening.

Taking home carry-out Chinese food from Peking restaurant in Muscatine, Rachel Anderson said she thinks Xi's visit “isn't that big of a deal” to most people around town, except for those in the neighborhood where he stopped for tea.

She said a friend who lives in that area told her some streets were blocked around there, and security officers had locked down the area.

Her daughter, a seventh-grader in Muscatine, said people hardly talked about it at school, either.

“We're eating Chinese, but not because of him,” Anderson said. “We just like it.”