Lobster Diplomacy: Nova Scotia and the Provincial Role in Canada-China Relations

This article concerns the increasingly significant role of subnational entities in international relations, using Nova Scotia's engagement with China as a case study. It highlights the period from 2010 to 2023, during which Nova Scotia leveraged its key export—lobsters—to establish and deepen economic and diplomatic ties with China, thereby carving out an influential role in the broader Canada-China relationship. The article provides an overview of subnational diplomacy's growing importance in international relations. The theoretical framework centres on subnational actors in global diplomacy and examines how Nova Scotia pursued independent diplomatic efforts with China, focusing on economic interests. The case study investigates lobster exports as the cornerstone of Nova Scotia-China relations, driving both economic benefits and diplomatic engagement. Finally, it touches on the economic outcomes for Nova Scotia and the political dynamics between federal and provincial authorities, concluding with broader implications for Canada's foreign policy and subnational actors in international diplomacy.