The US Government is promoting coordinated local diplomacy. A few professional diplomats will be sent to cities across the United States to advise mayors on establishing overseas relationships. Experts believe that this move is beneficial in plugging the gap in Chinese attempts to infiltrate local governments by exploiting the decentralization of federal powers.
While US states do not have diplomatic authority, they do have certain powers in foreign affairs activities. According to reports from Nikkei Asia, the US State Department will establish international advisors in five cities across the country this summer to expand local-level diplomatic policies.
Nina Hachigian, the Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy, stated in an exclusive interview with Nikkei Asia on May 14th that senior diplomats and public officials at mid-career level will be assigned to work in mayor’s offices for a year. The purpose of this initiative is to connect local leaders with the “practical interests of foreign policy.”
“This is a way to empower localities to engage more in international work. It’s also a great opportunity for our public officials and diplomats to truly understand a local part of America,” she said.
Deployed officials will provide advice to city officials on international issues and link local offices with relevant departments at the State Department, known as local diplomacy. They are also expected to build relationships with local chambers of commerce, industry associations, and other business entities.
Hachigian heads the Subnational Diplomacy Unit at the State Department, established in 2022. The mission of the State Department’s special representatives for city and state diplomacy and their teams is to lead and coordinate interactions between the State Department and mayors, governors, and other local officials nationwide. The goal is to bring the benefits of US foreign policy to the local and state levels, integrating local ideas into foreign policy to support US national security priorities.
Hachigian stated that the program aims to advance President Joe Biden’s concept of “middle-class diplomacy.”
This concept focuses on diplomatic policies that create job opportunities and help American working families. Emphasizing the formulation of economic and trade rules and encouraging the reshoring of manufacturing and supply chain security is seen as a response to China’s economic challenges and safeguarding American economic security.
The five cities where these initiatives will be implemented have not been announced yet. Hachigian hopes that the Lewis Local Diplomat Program will encourage local leaders to participate more in global affairs and bring back investments that can create job opportunities.
She stated that her office will serve as a one-stop service connecting local governments with Washington and overseas cities. Her department will provide a range of support, from assisting governors who may sign memoranda of understanding with foreign entities to helping mayors plan diplomatic visits.
Legal scholar Zheng Cunzhu, in an interview with Dajiyuan, pointed out that the United States is a federal system with power decentralization. At the local level, interactions are often considered in terms of economic exchanges, with little thought given to national security. By dispatching experienced officials to states to assist local governments, the US can prevent China from exploiting the decentralization system to undermine national security.
“In the process of business dealings, especially with countries like China, some commercial activities may have political motives or hidden risks related to national security. Since the US is a two-party system with different factions in each state, China can invite opposition lawmakers to visit and amplify their voices. By magnifying the support of lawmakers favorable to China, they can achieve their goals through such propaganda,” he explained.
The Communist Party of China (CCP) is intensifying its efforts in local diplomacy within the US. Many important US cities have longstanding sister city relationships with cities in China. Governors and mayors from the US frequently visit China. Additionally, there are mysterious Chinese individuals who engage in political donations for US politicians and serve as intermediaries for the CCP government in New York community activities.
During a visit to Beijing last year, CCP leader Xi Jinping told California Governor Gavin Newsom that establishing bilateral relationships beyond Capitol Hill was crucial.
During Newsom’s visit to Beijing, Xi Jinping stated, “The foundation and hope of China-US relations lie in the people, the future in the youth, and the vibrancy in the regions.”
So far, the bi-directional trade between California and China amounts to a staggering $166 billion, leading all states in trade volume with China.
Furthermore, various US states are investing in sensitive Chinese enterprises. A new report from the non-partisan advocacy organization Future Union in Washington reveals that American pension funds, university endowments, and other institutional investors have over $9 billion invested in funds related to ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok.
In October of last year, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit was held in San Francisco. The city beefed up security to fend off protesters during Xi Jinping’s visit. Multiple activists were injured by CCP security personnel and unidentified assailants.
Zheng Cunzhu told Dajiyuan that, “San Francisco’s local government increased police presence. I believe they were misled by the Communist Party because they reported the protests ahead of time. Before activists could start their activities, the special operations department identified two organizers. Conflict ensued, many activists were assaulted, and had to be rushed to the hospital.”
He believes that the so-called overseas Chinese leaders and organizations in the US are directed by the CCP consulate; hence, they mobilized many people to welcome Xi Jinping’s visit. APEC had participants from dozens of Asia-Pacific nations, and no other countries would conduct such actions. In reality, the event was about the CCP using a local government to convene an international meeting to leverage overseas Chinese for their propaganda efforts, which is part of their united front strategy.
Jin Xiuhong, Vice Chairman of the Democratic China Front, stated in an interview with Dajiyuan that the biggest insecurity the US faces currently is the issue of “traitors.” Through corrupt officials signing contracts and deals with the CCP, the US should investigate the financial records of all government officials, especially those in local and state governments, as they are public figures and the public has the right to know about their financial dealings.
She emphasized that the party’s interests should not supersede national interests. The influx of illegal immigrants increases population density in blue states, altering the political landscape of the US, potentially favoring more officials sympathetic to and protecting the CCP in Congress to restrict the freedom of the American people. However, once the American people awaken, the CCP’s authoritarian plans will not succeed.
Political scientist Wang Juntao, speaking with Dajiyuan, stated that the CCP’s infiltration of US state and local governments stems from a major shift in their diplomatic strategy starting in the latter half of last year. Faced with containment measures from the US government against the CCP and follow-up actions from Europe, they found it challenging to reverse these trends at the government level, leading them to focus on civil society in the US.
He analyzed that free democratic countries function under diverse constitutional systems where the federal government cannot dictate all decisions. By engaging in institutional work within other parts of a diverse constitutional system, there may be a potential to alter the impact of federal decisions on foreign relations, thereby weakening the influence of the federal government. Xi Jinping made this judgment considering such assumptions.
During Xi Jinping’s visit to the US last year, he proposed inviting 50,000 American youths to China for exchanges in the next five years. During his visit to Europe in May, Xi Jinping announced plans to surpass 10,000 French students studying in China over the next three years, doubling the current numbers.
“Xi also met with representatives from both parties and big bosses. His talk of ‘Foundation in the people’ aims to engage American Wall Street elites, Silicon Valley elites, and other non-governmental professional elites in cooperation with the Chinese government to gain influence in the development of their professional cooperation and break through the US blockade,” Wang Juntao explained.
He believes that the US federal government’s authority over local governments is very limited, except for being able to issue direct orders in a few federal buildings. They cannot directly command local governments. The federal government primarily influences national defense and foreign affairs, but has relatively less influence over local government resources and operations. It is evident that the authorization given to the federal government is insufficient.
However, Wang Juntao pointed out that Xi Jinping’s local diplomacy strategy might not succeed. Local government trade engagements will not significantly impact the systematic pressure imposed by the US federal government on the CCP in several key areas.
“The US has laid out three strategies, including eliminating CCP spies, setting up a geopolitical blockade around China’s periphery, and restricting the CCP in high-tech sectors. The FBI is combating domestic espionage within the US, and the California government is certainly taking an active approach because it directly threatens their security, which is unrelated to trade. Deploying a quasi-military blockade around China’s periphery is the Defense Department’s responsibility, which California has no authority over,” he stated.
“The US government cannot prohibit or block trade between California and China, or private exchanges. However, once trade tariffs take effect, their products will be taxed. California must also comply with high-tech bans imposed by the federal government,” he concluded.