The role of cities in Turkish relations with China

Abstract

State-level development of relations with China is usually accompanied by an increased number of contacts on the sub-state level, but the academic literature on Sino-Turkish relations has mainly been reticent on this phenomenon. This paper examines the sub-state level and attempts to characterise city-to-city contacts with China from the Turkish perspective. Based on data gleaned from a survey of 81 Turkish cities, we answer questions about the scope and the patterns of cooperation between Turkish and Chinese cities; we identify the main factors influencing this cooperation; and we argue that the Turkish government might use city-to-city relations to reach its policy goals towards China. Our findings show that Turkey's city-to-city relations with China are less developed than are the EU member states', and Sino-Turkish cooperation is currently far below its potential – particularly in business. However, city diplomacy is a hidden capacity in Turkish foreign policy, and the development of subnational links with China might be instrumental to Turkey in reaching its foreign policy goals.