Serving the national on the global plane: disentangling Chinese cities’ practice of international law

ABSTRACT International lawyers have finally turned their attention to cities. However, the emerging interdisciplinary literature on International Law and Cities has largely overlooked Chinese cities cultivating in a distinct political context. Such neglect may further contribute to a crude understanding of China’s growing ambition in its international legal strategy in general and Chinese cities’ practice of international law in particular. This article aims to fill that gap by reflecting upon the relationship between China’s central government and local governments in dealing with international legal affairs and elucidating how Chinese cities engage with international law in global politics and governance.