Observing the Iowa Caucuses: China’s Xie Tao on American Politics

On this timely episode of China Field Notes, Scott Kennedy is joined by Xie Tao, Dean and Professor of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University. Xie speaks to Scott after a remarkable trip with his students to the United States to observe the 2024 Iowa caucuses amidst a historic blizzard. They discuss how Xie became interested in studying American politics, the importance of field research, the difficulties he encountered entering the U.S., his impressions from Iowa, and his view of America’s future. Although Xie is from China, his observations most strikingly reflect the perspective of a political scientist.

Xie Tao is Dean and Professor of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University. He holds a PhD in political science from Northwestern University (2007). His research interests include U.S. Congress, elections, public opinion, and U.S.-China relations. His research has been published in the Journal of Contemporary China and American Politics Research, as well as leading journals in China. He is the author of U.S.-China Relations: China Policy on Capitol Hill (Routledge 2009 and Living with the Dragon: How the American Public Views the Rise of China (with Benjamin I. Page, Columbia University Press, 2010).