City Diplomacy and the European Union Policy towards China

This book explores the increasingly significant role of cities as actors in the European Union’s foreign policy, with a particular focus on EU-China relations. Analysing theoretical foundations, empirical data, and a survey of 745 cities, the authors provide unparalleled insights into the practices, challenges, and transformative potential of city diplomacy through its networks, partnerships, and direct engagement with global challenges.

Examining approaches across cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lodz, Linz, Duisburg, Ostrów Wielkopolski, and Dietzenbach, the methodological approach captures the complexity and variety of urban diplomatic practices to explore the factors influencing city diplomacy and address critical questions central to understanding its role in contemporary international relations. Considering how cities shape and influence EU foreign policy, the authors investigate how the size of a city affects its capacity for international cooperation and how collaboration with academia and business can amplify their diplomatic outreach. Finally, the book explores the role of policy coordination between cities and higher levels of government, highlighting its importance in achieving coherent foreign policy goals and overcoming institutional barriers.

Bridging the gap between academic research and policy practice, this volume offers valuable insights for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers. By highlighting the growing significance of city diplomacy, it provides a timely contribution to the fields of international relations, European studies, and paradiplomacy.

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."