Paradiplomacy in Hard Times: Cooperation and Confrontation in Subnational U.S.–China Relations

What becomes of subnational foreign engagement when international tensions rise? State-level U.S.–China relations offer insights into unresolved theoretical questions about the dynamics of what we call “paradiplomacy in hard times.” Whereas U.S. state governments expanded official engagements with China in the early 2010s, many states and cities have scaled back engagement and introduced anti-PRC measures in recent years amid worsening U.S.–China friction. We draw on an original dataset of state-level policy actions toward China (2012–2022) to assess patterns of variation across time and space in subnational U.S.–China relations, showing that subnational foreign relations in times of tension feature distinct dimensions of cooperation and confrontation. Meanwhile, we use a detailed case study of Indiana–China relations to develop insights into drivers of subnational cooperation and confrontation, highlighting the diverging interests and actions of the business community, state officials, federal officials, political parties, and Chinese government counterparts in shaping states’ foreign relations.