One morning in the 2010s, a rural midwestern farmer called the cops. There was a guy in a suit sniffing around a field near town. A big SUV dropped him off.

And the story of how the man got there? That can tell us a lot about Xi Jinping’s past, present, and future.

China’s seen incredible growth over the last 50 years — and with that, major changes in the country’s diet and agriculture. With 1.4 billion people to feed and a party narrative to upkeep, President Xi Jinping is pushing the country to invest in its own food security.

During a time when tension between the US and China are rising, we look at how Great Power Competition is unfolding in America’s cornfields.

GUESTS: Sue-Lin Wong, The Economist; Wendong Zhang, Cornell University; Arthur Kroeber, Gavekal Dragonomics

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

The Prince, The Economist

How Has China Maintained Domestic Food Stability Amid Global Food Crises?, World Economic Forum

China’s Interests in US Agriculture: Augmenting Food Security through Investment Abroad, US-China Economic and Security Review Commission