On June 2, 2026, the University of Minnesota China Center, in partnership with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and Global Minnesota, hosted Subnational Connect – Upper Midwest, a day-long convening on U.S.-China relations and their implications for the region. Held in the Lindahl Founders Room at Northrup Auditorium, the program drew scholars, practitioners, and economic development leaders for a sustained look at the trade, technology, and security dimensions of the bilateral relationship.
China Center Executive Director Joan Brzezinski opened the day alongside partners from Global Minnesota and NCUSCR. Timothy Stratford, Senior Counsel at Covington & Burling and former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, delivered a keynote reading out the recent Trump-Xi summit, in conversation with the Humphrey School's Mary Curtin.
Three panels anchored the program. The first examined the trade and economic relationship, taking up China's 15th Five-Year Plan, tariffs, export controls, critical minerals, and supply chain derisking. The second turned to technology competition, with discussion of the AI race, semiconductors, biotechnology, batteries and clean energy, and the contest for talent. The closing panel addressed the challenges localities face around Chinese influence and national security, including research integrity and IP protection, the distinction between influence and interference, and the rise of anti-Asian discrimination.
Speakers spanned academia, government, law, and the private sector—including the University of Kansas, Georgetown, the University of Toronto, Smith College, and Notre Dame; research organizations such as the American Enterprise Institute, Brookings, and Trivium China; law and consulting firms including Covington & Burling, Dorsey & Whitney, and McLarty Associates; and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.