In an October 2020 report, DHS reports that foreign governments—principally China—seek to cultivate influence with state and local leaders directly and indirectly, often via economic carrots and sticks such as informal and legal or social agreements that seek to promote cultural and commercial ties. The report states that “Chinese officials calculate that U.S. state- and local-level officials enjoy a degree of diplomatic independence from Washington and may leverage these relationships to advance policies that are in China’s interest during times of strained relations.” Examples of problematic instances of Chinese outreach include Chinese officials leveraging local and state official relationships to push pro-Chinese narratives in Chicago, and a Chinese official emailing a Midwestern state legislator to ask that the legislative body of which he was a member pass a resolution recognizing that China has taken heroic steps to fight the virus..