Open AccessBridging Theory on Global Corporate Hierarchy and City Diplomacy: The Case of China
Author(s) -
Hongyuan Yu,
Benjamin Leffel,
Qianyuan Li,
Simon Craig
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chinese journal of urban and environmental studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2345-752X
pISSN - 2345-7481
DOI - 10.1142/s2345748121500111
Subject(s) - typology , hierarchy , diplomacy , urban hierarchy , global city , china , economic geography , position (finance) , politics , political science , economy , economic system , political economy , sociology , economics , population , demography , finance , anthropology , law
This study tests the relationship between the hierarchical position of cities in the global economy and a typology of cultural, economic, political, and social external relations, namely city diplomacy. We conduct this test on a sample of 46 Chinese cities, seeking to bridge otherwise separate existing theories on the structure of the world city hierarchy and varied dimensions of city diplomacy. Contrary to expectations, we find that the aggregate of the typology of city diplomacy, rather than only the economic dimension, is most closely associated with position in the world city hierarchy. This tentatively suggests that the collective effect of internationally-oriented cultural, economic, political and social activities in Chinese cities reflect the global structure of the highest levels of globalized urban wealth.