US Local Governments Impact On Sino-US Relations

Traditionally, the main actor of diplomacy is the nation. Within the nation, the centralgovernment possesses the absolute control on the diplomatic right and the localgovernment is mainly engaged in the domestic affairs. The local government, alienatingfrom the International Community and International System, has no need to pay attentionto the affairs beyond the boundary or expand international interests initiatively. Since1970s, the acceleration of the globalization, enhancing the relationship among nations,removed the boundary between the international community and the domestic communitygradually. It has also changed the traditional space and environment for the localgovernment. Getting involved in the international interdependence, the local governmenthas to bear and respond to the pressure and demands of the international communitydirectly.In the United States, under the influence of special history, geographic conditions andpolitical system, the local government plays an important role both in the domesticpolitical affairs and Sino-US relations. On one hand, the local governments, especially thestate governments, dispatched delegations to visit China or constructed friendship withprovinces and cities in China. On the other hand, some states or cities also establishedSister-city with provinces or cities of China to take part in the exchange of bilateralrelations. To some extent, this kind of participation has enhanced the bilateral exchange. Atthe same time, they also take advantage of congressional bills and electoral politics toinfluent the federal government’s Chinese policy, thus safeguarding the local interests.Local governments, using political means to interfere with federal foreign policy towardChina, thus making the Sino-US relations become more complicated. Therefore, the localgovernment of the United States is an important factor we must pay attention to in thedevelopment of Sino-US relation.