Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping has praised Iowans for their success in farming and says he hopes the friendship between the U.S. and China will grow over the decades. The comment was made during a state dinner hosted by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad. And before their meeting, Xi Jinping paid a special visit to his old friends in a small city in the state.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping speaks during a formal dinner in the rotunda at the Iowa Statehouse, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, in Des Moines, Iowa.

At dinner, Xi Jinping likened the sino-US relationship to the states characteristic oak trees.

Xi Jinping said: "According to the traditional Chinese calendar, this year there will be two springs. And we believe that a year with two springs will be a year that has a bumper harvest. I hope through the joint efforts of both sides, the tree of friendship between China and the US will be like the oak trees in your state, grow and bear rich fruit and benefit not only this generation but future generations as well."

Xi Jinping also promised more balanced economic ties and international cooperation.

He met with business leaders before the dinner, and praised the people of Iowa for their achievements in farming and technologies like wind power.

China's vice president, Xi Jinping, right, greets Eleanor Dvorchak, left, at the home of Roger and Sarah Lande in Muscatine, Iowa Wednesday February 15, 2012.

And before arriving in Des Moines to meet with the governor Terry Branstad, Xi Jinping visited a family who hosted him in the small city of Muscatine back in 1985.

Xi Jinping said: "We came just a few years after the normalization of relations between China and the US, and just two years after Hebei Province and the state of Iowa became sister province and state. And it was my first visit to the US. So everything seemed so new and fresh to me."

Some new business is expected to be sealed while Xi Jinping is in town.

US media reports that a group of Chinese soybean buyers have scheduled a signing ceremony to purchase billions of dollars of U.S. soybeans.

After this stop, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping will wrap up his US trip with a visit Thursday to Los Angels.