Rethinking city and diaspora as non-state actors of diplomacy: the role of Chinese diaspora in Wenzhou-Prato sister city relationship

City and diaspora are two non-state actors in international relations. China has one of the biggest diaspora communities in the world, yet the diplomatic implications of the diaspora at the inter-city level have been underestimated and understudied. Drawing on first-hand data collected from exploratory fieldwork in Prato, Italy, the present study sheds light on the Chinese diaspora's role in the Wenzhou-Prato city twinning. It argues that diasporas, as transnational citizens, have an indispensable role to play in enabling and materialising city twinning practices, but understanding the underlying motivations requires recognising the agency of diasporas themselves as non-state actors of diplomacy. The findings show that city diplomacy and diaspora diplomacy are both multidimensional and may be entangled with one another. While the diaspora can be an instrument of city diplomacy, the city can be a venue for potential diaspora diplomacy. This paper challenges a state-centric conception of diplomacy and shows the multi-faceted relationship between different non-state actors in diplomacy.