This paper offers a new framework for understanding China-Germany sister-city diplomacy through the lens of city cluster logic, enabling subnational actors to navigate complex institutional structures and networked partnerships more strategically. Drawing upon a comprehensive policy analysis and a series of 68 interviews conducted in Germany and China between 2022 and 2025, this study illuminates …

The China-Russia partnership post-2022 has not only seen a quantitative increase in trade volumes, but also a qualitative shift towards a more sophisticated partnership in new technologies, innovation, and research and development (R&D) in domains such as artificial intelligence (AI), green hydrogen energy, e-commerce, etc. This may introduce new strategic, economic and security risks for …