Hebei province has strengthened its bonds with its first sister state, Iowa, in the United States, in 2013, through cultural exchanges and greater economic cooperation, and by celebrating the 30th anniversary of the partnership.

Hebei had a large trade fair, on April 17, that attracted 75 provincial companies and 18 companies or associations from Iowa, which was an important part of the Iowa delegation’s three-day visit. Most of the companies are in agriculture, including seeds, grain storage, equipment and services.

The trade fair was a good place for Chinese and American companies to speak directly with each other and better for future investment, one manager of a Hebei company remarked. In addition, 12 universities and 13 high schools from Hebei sent officials to talk with the visitors about student exchanges and cooperation in teaching.

Iowa’s Governor Terry Branstad, who joined the delegation, explained, "We have a number of exchanges, including in education and culture," on April 18, "but, in the area of Chinese business, we're really just getting started."

Iowa is a major agricultural state, with the largest soybean, corn and pork yield in the US, while. Hebei is also a large agricultural province, one that plays a big role in China. And, there’s a lot of room for cooperation, even though Iowa and Hebei have seen a tremendous increase in trade, especially since soybeans, corn and pork are in great demand in China, Branstad concluded. He made his first visit to China in 1984.