China and European countries entertain relations with each other not only at the state level. During past decades, a close network of partnerships between Chinese provinces, European regions or federal states and also cities and municipalities has emerged. On subnational channels, there are a lot of oftentimes mutually beneficial exchanges - in business and politics, but also at the level of civil society. It is very challenging for a federally organized country like Germany, but also other European regions, to deal with actors from China who are following strategies prescribed by a centralized party state.  

MERICS Senior Analyst Roderick Kefferpütz has been studying China's sub-national diplomacy in Germany and Europe in detail in his research at MERICS. He has just published the results of his research in two MERICS reports. In this episode of the MERICS Experts podcast, he discusses his findings and recommendations for subnational actors in Europe with Claudia Wessling, Director of Communications and Publications at MERICS. 

Recommended reading:  

• In his report "Big fish in small ponds: China’s subnational diplomacy in Europe,” Kefferpütz compares how different European countries deal with China’s subnational diplomacy.
• Also check out the study on “China’s subnational diplomacy in Germany” (available only in German)