From the editors’ preface:

Patryk Szczotka’s contribution deals with sub-state relations in Sino-European cooperation. Relying on the “relational theory of international politics” of Qin Yaqing and its concept of relationality, Szczotka compares the different approaches of Duisburg (Germany) and Lodz (Poland) in pursuing their regional interests in their relationships with their Chinese counterparts, who both maintain good relations in an environment of complex regional, national and supranational factors.