The Role In Foreign Affairs Subnational Actors Play Under A Global Perspective

After the Second World War,especially since the 1970s,globalization has made great changes taken place in the international system.The boundaries between domestic and international affairs are blurring.Interdependence in the world began to emerge.The number of non-state actors and the responsibilities they took in the international arena have considerably increased.As a result,the authority of 'sovereign state" as the only absolute actor in the traditional International Relations Theory has been questioned and challenged.Among these non-state actors that brought these changes,the international behaviors of the sub-national actors are gaining more and more attention in the academic field.This dissertation focuses on the sub-national governments of the sub-national actors.The active role that sub-national governments play in foreign affairs is not achieved overnight,whereas it's motivated and stimulated by power from the international,national and local level respectively,as well as the convenience brought by the Web 2.0 era.However,putting the sub-national actors and sovereign states on the same status due to the more and more active role sub-national actors play in foreign affairs is still inappropriate.In today's international relations system,the sovereign state is still the fundamental actor,while the sub-national governments are the emerging new foreign affairs participants.As a special foreign affairs actor,the sub-national government still under the guidance of the whole country's diplomacy.It conducts international activities within the range limited by the sovereign state's central government.The international activities conducted by sub-national actors are beneficial supplement for the country's foreign policy,and sub-national governments keep a win-win cooperation with the central diplomatic strategy.Among all sub-national actors,'City',due to its important relations linked to the world,the nation and people,attracts a wide spread attention on the foreign affairs it conducts which is also known as the 'City Diplomacy'.City,as a kind of sub-national actor,is also a special foreign affairs participant.City Diplomacy is subject to the country's overall diplomacy.When the city is chasing the same interests as the whole country.the city diplomacy could be a beneficial supplement of the nation's overall diplomatic strategy.In 2015,the China-UK relation opened a 'golden era'.In addition to the diplomatic interactions between central governments,the cooperation and communication among Chinese cities and the UK is becoming more and more frequent.At present,although the city diplomacy between the two countries is moving toward a positive direction,there are still many problems.Taking sister-city relationship which is the easiest to be quantized as an example,the overall number of China-UK sister-cities remains to improve,as well as the number of every year and balance of regional distribution.The problem of uneven regional distribution is especially evident in the areas of southwest China,where there is still considerable room for improvement.The low city diplomacy level between cities in southwest China and Britain results from our country's gradual path of reform and opening-up,as well as some political and security considerations.However,as our country put forward the `Western Development Strategy' in 2000,and identified the 'One Belt and One Road' as the state's overall strategy in 2015,cities in southwest China have been gradually given an increasing right and initiative in participating international affairs.Here,the increasing city diplomacy in southwest Chinese cities developed from the country's overall diplomatic strategy and dynamic China-UK relations also precisely proves that city diplomacy is subject to a country's overall diplomatic strategy.The city diplomacy between Chengdu and the UK has developed in this context.With the support of national strategy,the self-devised 'Open all fields' city vitalizing strategy,clear self-positioning and proactive city image promotion,Chengdu and the UK has developed a sister-city relation with depth,breadth and height,as well as a direction contact relation with expanding cooperation fields.The city diplomacy between Chengdu and the UK has noticeable features.In the aspect of nature,it has four characteristics:non-sovereign,governmental,intermediary and local.In terms of content,the city diplomacy is dominated by 'economic low politics'.On the strategic side,the city's diplomatic practices are supported by the state's overall strategy and a clear-determined self-positioning.Active promotion of the city's characteristic image to the UK is also a part of the city's diplomatic strategy.In terms of form,Chengdu has adopted sister-city,direct and multilateral cooperation to further communication with the UK.Regarding participants,governmental agencies like the British Consulate-General in Chongqing and British All Party Parliamentary China Group,enterprises like Jardine Matheson Group,organizations like China Britain Business Council,and key individuals like Lord Nat Wei are all important resources in the relationship between Chengdu and the UK.These rich contents,innovative communication ways,actual benefits brought to the local.as well as driving the international affairs involvement of surrounding urban agglomeration etc,all prove that when the city is chasing consistent interests with the whole country,its involvement of foreign affairs is a beneficial supplement of the country's overall diplomatic strategy.Besides Chengdu,the communication with Britain among Sichuan Province and other smaller cities within the province also shows that in additional to key big cities,other levels of sub-national actors can also play an important role in foreign affairs,as long as they make good use of resources and grasp good opportunities.However,among the city diplomacy practices between Chengdu and the UK,there are practical problems like relying on subsidies to much,inactivity in communication with foreign media,underdevelopment of multilateral city diplomacy,no follow-up activities,simple sister-city target and too many official visits etc.But meanwhile,our country's 'One Belt and One Road' Strategy,Britain's 'Northern Powerhouse' Plan,the common liquor culture shared between many Chinese southwest and British cities,rapid development of IT also offer many opportunities to the further development of city diplomacy between Chengdu and the UK.By the city diplomacy case between Chengdu and the UK,it can be seen that a good city diplomacy has a huge positive role in promoting the development of local economy,society and culture.Therefore,China's central government should encourage more,rather than ignore or limit city diplomacy.Other cities in our country should also learn from Chengdu to strengthen the construction of `hard power' economy and the 'soft power'culture at the same time,as well as to actively be involved in the international community,to foster talents,to make good use of globalization and national strategy,to seize opportunities and find accurate self-position for developing a higher level of sub-national governments' participance in foreign affairs.