On May 26, 2026, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University hosted the 27th session of CISS StratFocus, titled “The ‘Local Factor’ in China-U.S. Relations: Understanding State-Level China Policies in the United States.”
The forum was moderated by Professor Da Wei, Director of CISS. Zhao Xiuye, a Pre-Doctoral Fellow at CISS and Ph.D. candidate at the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, delivered the keynote presentation. Professor Xie Tao, Dean of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University and doctoral supervisor, participated as the discussant.
Drawing on both empirical research and extensive fieldwork conducted in dozens of U.S. state capitals, Zhao presented his latest findings on China-related legislation at the state-government level in the United States. He examined recent trends in state-level policymaking toward China and provided an in-depth analysis of the political dynamics and institutional mechanisms driving these developments.
During the discussion session, Professor Da Wei highly praised the research for its academic originality and practical relevance in understanding contemporary China-U.S. relations. Professor Xie Tao noted that while Chinese scholars have devoted considerable attention to U.S. national politics, research on local governance, state-level legislation, and electoral politics remains relatively limited. He emphasized that Zhao’s study helps fill an important gap in the literature by highlighting the growing role of state governments in shaping China-related policies.
Professor Xie further explored the asymmetries between the Democratic and Republican parties in their approaches toward China and offered suggestions for future research on the interaction between domestic politics and U.S. China policy at the subnational level.
In the Q&A session, faculty members and students engaged in lively discussions on a range of timely issues, including Chinese investment in the United States, the role of Chinese American communities in bilateral relations, the influence of Republican-affiliated think tanks on China policy, and Taiwan’s impact on U.S. policymaking toward China.
The event provided participants with valuable insights into the increasingly important role of state governments in U.S. policymaking toward China and contributed to a deeper understanding of the domestic political factors shaping the trajectory of China-U.S. relations.
