City Diplomacy and the European Union Policy towards China

Introduction

Chapter 1. The impact of cities on the EU foreign policy

1.1.           The role of non-state actors in international relations

1.2.           Paradiplomacy and the significance of cities in international relations

1.3.           How substate entities might influence the EU foreign policy

1.4.           Conclusions

 Chapter 2. The multi-level character of the EU-China relations

2.1. Multi-level governance and the EU foreign policy

2.2. The multi-level architecture of EU-China relations: actors, tensions, and overlaps

2.3. European cities and their engagement with China

2.4. Conclusions

Chapter 3:  Size matters: How do big versus small cities cooperate with China?

3.1. Why might the size of the city influence the city diplomacy?

3.2. Research results

3.3. Case studies

3.3.1. Case Study: Ostrów Wielkopolski's relations with Chinese partner city

3.3.2. Case Study: Dietzenbach – Kunming sister city cooperation

3.3.3. Case Study: Amsterdam's relations with Chinese partner cities

3.3.4. Case Study: Barcelona’s relations with Chinese sister cities

3.4. Conclusions

Chapter 4. The triple helix model: The role of combined partnership with academia and business

4.1. Theoretical background

4.2. Research results

4.3. Case studies

4.3.1 Duisburg and the triple helix in practice

4.3.2 Lodz - the rise and fall of a triple helix partnership

4.3.3 Linz – cooperation without the golden triangle

4.4. Conclusions

Chapter 5. Working with others: How cities coordinate their work with different level authorities

5.1. What is the role of policy coordination in multi-level systems?

5.2. Analyses of survey results

5.3. Case studies

5.3.1. France – institutional coordination through state structures

5.3.2. Germany – local autonomy, limited coordination

5.3.3. Poland – fragmented support and political volatility

5.4 Conclusions

Conclusions

Biography

Tomasz Kamiński is a political scientist and associate professor at the Faculty of International and Political Studies, University of Lodz (Poland). He chairs the ParadiplomacyLAB, Centre for Studies on Paradiplomacy and City Diplomacy. His research focuses on paradiplomacy and city diplomacy, with particular attention to their role in the EU’s foreign policy. He has participated in numerous research projects funded by the European Commission (Horizon 2020, Jean Monnet Module) and the Polish National Science Centre. He is the co-author of several books, including The Role of Regions in EU-China Relations, and has published in leading journals such as JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, Comparative Politics, Energy Policy, Asia Europe Journal, and Europe-Asia Studies. Prof. Kamiński also serves as editor of the journal Studia Polityczne and co-editor of the Routledge Series on Paradiplomacy and City Diplomacy. More information about his work and publications can be found at: www.tomaszkaminski.eu

Joanna Ciesielska-Klikowska is a political scientist and an assistant professor at the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Lodz. In her research, she concentrates on European and Asian affairs, focusing mainly on the dynamics between the People's Republic of China and the European Union. Her work examines these relations both at the international and sub-state levels, highlighting the importance of cooperation between regions and cities. She also discusses the importance of city diplomacy in the context of relations between the EU and the United States. Additionally, she explores German foreign policy within the framework of German-Chinese relations and the German perspective on Chinese activities in Europe, looking into the complexities of international diplomacy. She cooperates with the Centre for Asian Affairs of the University of Lodz and co-organises the Lodz East Asia Meeting (LEAM) international scientific conference. She is passionate about teaching and working with students. 

Małgorzata Karpińska-Krakowiak is an economist specialising in quantitative studies and running experimental research on consumer behaviour and advertising at the University of Lodz (Poland). She has been cooperating with research partners from the Complex Systems and Artificial Intelligence Research Center (CSAI) at the University of Milano-Bicocca in Milan (Italy), King's College London (United Kingdom) and the European University Viadrina (Germany). She has won multiple research scholarships from the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst in Germany) and many international grants financed by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft in Germany) and the NCN (National Science Center in Poland). She was the first Polish scholar to win the European Advertising Academy award for scientific research on advertising. So far, she has published her research findings in the Journal of Interactive Marketing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, International Journal of Advertising, Marketing Letters, and Journal of Business Research. Before entering academia, she worked in an advertising agency as a strategy manager. She was responsible for advertising projects for many international brands, including Masterfoods, Nestlé, Pepsi, Storck, Heinz, Colgate-Palmolive, and Kimberly-Clark.

Michał Gzik is a political scientist. In 2025, he obtained his doctoral degree at the Faculty of International and Political Studies, University of Lodz (Poland). He is the author of papers on sub-national cooperation between the European Union and China, presented at both international and national conferences. His research focuses on the multi-level relations between Central and Eastern Europe and China. He was the winner of the "Scientific Debut 2019 - Sustainable Development" competition and a laureate of the National Science Centre's PRELUDIUM 20 research grant for the project: "Model of cooperation between cities and regions of CEE and China". He is also implementing a project funded by the Faculty of International and Political Studies entitled "New Theoretical and Methodological Approaches for Examining City Diplomacy."

“The book “City Diplomacy and the EU Policy Towards China” offers a timely and original contribution to the study of paradiplomacy and international relations. By examining how European cities and subnational governments engage with China, this book sheds new light on the evolving dynamics between local, national, and supranational actors in global governance. It demonstrates how city diplomacy is becoming an essential dimension of Europe’s foreign policy toolbox - particularly in the context of complex relations with Beijing.

This volume also forms part of the renewed wave of scholarship on paradiplomacy, emphasizing the growing importance of municipal and city-level international engagement in shaping contemporary global politics. It will be an essential reference for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers interested in urban international relations, EU external action, and the geopolitics of China–Europe relations.”

-  Stéphane Paquin, Full professor at École nationale d’administration publique, Québec, Canada and Director of the Study and Research Group on International Affairs and Québec (GERIQ)

“At a time of increasingly complex geopolitics, City Diplomacy and the EU Policy Towards China comes in with a timely, thoroughly empirical and effective guide on how paradiplomatic engagements impact EU Foreign Policy, shedding light with purpose on a critical and often overlooked dimension of this defining international relations dynamic.”

-  Professor Michele Acuto, the University of Bristol

“This book reveals the previously untold story of how Europe’s cities have become key players in global politics. In a series of original case studies the authors trace the networks of mayors, universities, and businesses that are helping to add another layer to Europe’s relationship with China. This insightful and original text shows how city diplomacy is becoming a vital new channel for political influence.”

-  Simon Curtis, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Surrey