The Role Of Sub-National Governments In A Globalised International System

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Shandong-South Australia sister state relationship ("SSAR"). Australian and Chinese sub-national level governments bridged together by establishing a sister state relationship ("SSR") provide economic incentives for businesses and allow local level constituents to gain better access to global markets, driving economic growth between regions which are geographically, socially, economically and culturally diverse. This case study on the SSAR seeks to investigate the depth of the relationship, by focusing on its central pillars:government and business, education, and arts and culture. In the early stages of communication between Shandong and SA, a SA survey mission travelled to Shandong, and in light of its summary of Shandong’s economy, noted that it would be "a most appropriate province with which to establish a friendly relationship."1 30 years on, China’s pace of development has since slowed and is changing in character, necessitating changes in the nature of Shandong’s relationship with SA. As this research shows, the relationship has matured over the past 30 years, encompassing cooperation on a variety of initiatives, providing a strategic vision which goes beyond the scope of purely economic benefits, yet there is still further progress to be made.Drawing on qualitative interviews with officials from Shandong’s provincial government in charge of overseeing the SSR, as well as SA Government personnel, Austrade staff stationed in China, council records, media reports, and a recent report of the relationship (Sheridan,2015), this case study of the SSAR since its initiation examines the role played by sub-national governments, emphasising that foreign policy is not limited to national government action, but can be influenced by conduct at the sub-national government level. Accordingly, the sub-national government is the focus of this research, and is examined against a theoretical framework of International Relations, globalisation. This research focuses on China’s use of soft power in its foreign policy making, a concept which differs from traditional use of the term in International Relations. China’s use of soft power can be seen to influence the SSAR through vehicles such as the Confucius Institute ("CI"), the artistic performances carried out by Shandong performers at the OzAsia Festival in 2014, and Shandong’s exhibition at the Royal Adelaide Show.This study promotes a forward-looking Australian foreign policy carried out at the sub-national government level, characterised by a weaving of Asian culture into Australian society, promoting greater understanding and engagement in a constructive fashion.