Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks says having the Chinese Communist Party pay for Muscatine students’ travel to China is “a bridge too far.”
Miller-Meeks released a written statement, acknowledging the “historical” connection Muscatine has with China and its president. Xi Jinping stayed with a Muscatine family in 1985 during a cultural exchange. However, Miller-Meeks points to a story in The Guardian about an eight day trip to China for 24 Muscatine students that was paid for by the Chinese government.
Miller said the situation is a national security concern and a “sobering…reminder” of China’s aim to “infiltrate U.S. institutions.” Miller-Meeks issued her statement at 5 p.m. Wednesday and Radio Iowa was unable to reach Muscatine school officials for comment.
Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Xi have often referred to one another as “old friend.” Branstad, who first met Xi during that 1985 trip to Iowa, served as U.S. Ambassador to China during the Trump Administration. Branstad, as governor, hosted a state dinner at the Iowa Capitol for Xi in 2016, just before Xi became China’s president and the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. This past November, Branstad and other Iowans who met Xi back in 1985 joined Xi for a dinner in California on the first night of Xi’s visit to the U.S.