Chinese are increasingly active in US political arena

Yan Xiaozhe, a Chinese-American from Iowa, strolled along Cleveland Public Square on Tuesday afternoon, while protesters chanted slogans nearby and bicycle-patrol police stood alertly amid a crowd of onlookers.

Yan was not just any tourist in Cleveland. The Chinese community leader was "a guest" of the Republican National Convention.

"I was invited as an independent, so I have come here to learn and to observe, to see what I can decide in the next few months before Nov 8 (Election Day in the United States)," he said.