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Subnational Diplomacy in California: Economic Cooperation or Security Risk?

Subnational Diplomacy in California: Economic Cooperation or Security Risk?
A stone lion stands outside the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco in a file photo. Philip Pacheco/AFP via Getty Images
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Commentary

Since before Ronald Reagan’s time as governor, Californians have considered their rich and bountiful home something of a “nation-state.” It’s a phrase Gov. Gavin Newsom has employed repeatedly—and a description he seems to have taken literally: California has fostered its own diplomatic relationship with China for years.

Madelynn McLaughlin
Madelynn McLaughlin
Author
Madelynn McLaughlin is an intern at RealClearPolitics. She graduated from Liberty University in 2025 with a degree in Government: Politics and Policy.