Localizing Foreign Policy

We live in an era of "complex interdependence." Globalization has brought new actors,multiple channels and agendas,such as economic development,social integration,environmental issues,the use of big data,etc.,which are often referred to as "low politics"in international relations.Those new actors are,for example,subnational governments(SNGs)-either provinces,regions or cities.The rapid global urbanization has become cities in the main site for human life.In 2008,for the first time,more than half of the world’s population will be living in urban areas.It is even estimated that the urban population will exceed 70%by 2050 and the megalopolis-cities with more than ten million inhabitants-will increase significantly.SNGs are increasingly engaging not only as player in the local development but also as an international actor.The engagement of SNGs in international affairs occurs widely and it has recently received more attention from scholars.In this sense,some Chinese and Chilean SNGs-either cities or provinces-have held conferences,signed agreements,completed trade missions,issued official public statements,amongst other activities,and communication channels that non-central governments(NCG)have created.Therefore,we provide new insights on the diplomatic relations of Chile and China by focusing on the multilayered diplomacy between them exploring the role played by the subnational governments in shaping the diplomatic relations between both countries,assuming that the foreign policy of the states will be increasingly "localized." We argue that there are three main layers in the relationship between Chile and China.A macro-layer expressed in China-Celac Forum,a meso-layer in which the main actor is the nation-state and its traditional bilateral relation.And finally,a micro-layer relationship where the foreign policy is "localized" between subnational governments.