Bridges or battlegrounds? American cities in the US-China relationship

U.S. metropolitan areas have developed varying forms of economic, social, and official links with China in recent decades, but all city regions have experienced profound impacts and faced significant dilemmas as strategic competition between the United States and China has mounted.  

On December 12, the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings and the Truman Center for National Policy will host a conversation on current and future city-level engagement with China to explore questions such as: How does an evolving U.S.-China relationship affect American cities, and how have cities adapted (or struggled to adapt)? What costs and benefits do local actors perceive when it comes to engaging with China? How should federal policymakers account for the needs and experiences of U.S. cities as they craft policy regarding China? 

The conversation will feature a presentation of findings from the Truman Center’s Kyle Jaros and Sara Newland, who recently concluded a yearlong series of engagements in four metro areas across the United States to gain a clearer picture of how U.S.-China relations play out locally.

Viewers can submit questions for speakers by emailing [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) using #USChina.