Sister Cities Research Articles

Characteristics and Emerging Trends in International City Negotiations

The article examines key features, main directions, and current trends in international negotiations between subnational territorial units using the example of cities. In today’s world, where the global political system is undergoing epochal change, the international activities of non-governmental and subnational actors, including their participation in international negotiations, have intensified. One of the key features of international city negotiations is that they occur mainly in a multilevel and multilateral format. This is due to the hybrid nature of cities, which are both state and non-state entities. The balance of power between cities and states in international relations depends on factors such as the degree of autonomy granted to sub-national units by the central government, as well as the level of economic and political influence held by cities. Sometimes, the position of a city may differ significantly from that of the state it belongs to. At the international level, there are several specialized institutions and mechanisms that allow cities to coordinate their positions and develop common approaches. These include the World Association of United Cities and Local Authorities, the World Assembly of Local and Regional Authorities, and the Metropolis Association. The main topics of today’s multilateral negotiations between cities include combating climate change, ensuring protection from natural disasters, promoting the rights of migrants and other displaced people, and fostering innovation in urban environment and governance. In contrast, bilateral negotiations between cities, based on the institution of sister cities, focus more on the humanitarian, scientific, educational, and cultural spheres of cooperation. Finally, current trends in international city negotiations include the increasing use of digital technologies and the geographical reorientation of Russian cities’ partnerships towards the countries of the “global majority.”

Managing the Santa Cruz River: Prospects for a Future Binational Minute

This paper examines the prospects for developing and implementing a binational water management agreement for the transboundary Santa Cruz River that crosses the US–Mexico boundary near the sister cities of Nogales, Sonora–Nogales, Arizona. After considering the geography, history, socio-economic context, and binational agreements affecting utilization of the Santa Cruz River, we review the conditions influencing recent binational progress on another transboundary river, the Tijuana River. Specifically, we ask what conditions created a favorable environment in which a binational agreement for management of the Tijuana River Watershed (TRW) was developed, what specific actions by relevant policy officials took place, and how the final agreement was reached. We then compare the dynamics that unfolded in the TRW with conditions in the Santa Cruz River to identify obstacles hindering progress towards achieving an International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) agreement (Minute) on shared management of the Santa Cruz River in its international reach. We find that the required political conditions that favored an agreement on the Tijuana River are not yet met on the Santa Cruz, although several favorable conditions do exist. We conclude with an assessment of current prospects for advancing binational cooperation that can inform discussion of how an IBWC Minute could be drafted to address water resource management issues in the Santa Cruz River Basin.

Evolving connections: Understanding the dynamics behind the Sino-foreign sister city network

Sister city relationships bolster trust and facilitate deeper interactions between international cities, acting as key enablers for transnational cooperation. However, less is known about the driving factors for the dynamic evolution of sister city networks. Accordingly, our study leverages data from Sino-foreign sister cities and applies the stochastic actor-oriented model (SAOM) to analyze the evolution process of these networks. We examine the driving roles of network structure characteristics, sister city attributes, and control variables. Key findings include that network density (outdegree) positively and insignificantly influences the formation of these networks, while activity plus popularity foster these connections. For city attributes, institutional distance and geographical similarity (both coastal cities) play a positive driving force in the development of sister cities. By contrast, cultural distance similarity negatively affects the dynamic development of these ties. Most interestingly, three control variables exhibit different effects on Sino-foreign sister city networks. Economic level and opening-up degree of cities exert positive and significant effects on the evolution of networks. By comparison, the effect of resource endowment of cities on network evolution presents a negative and significant driving force. In addition, this study also examines spatial heterogeneity in the evolution of Sino-foreign sister city relationships across different continents. These findings can help urban diplomacy practitioners to formulate and implement sister city planning policies and promote the efficiency of Sino-foreign cities in establishing sister city relationships.

Sister cities and outward foreign direct investment: evidence from the Chinese listed firms

ABSTRACT In the current volatile international geopolitical landscape, fostering firm internationalization is crucial for enhancing economic cooperation and boosting economic growth among countries. This study aims to examine the impact of establishing sister cities, as a formal diplomatic institution between countries, on firms’ outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). Using panel data of Chinese listed firms with high-dimensional fixed effect regression models, we find that sister cities can significantly increase firms’ OFDI. Adopting a bilateral institutional perspective, we further investigate how institutions in both the home and host country influence this relationship. Our findings reveal that the positive effect of sister cities on firms’ OFDI is stronger when marketization in home countries is less developed, while it is amplified in host countries with better governance quality. The heterogeneous analysis indicates that sister cities promote OFDI for private-owner enterprises (POEs) more than state-owner enterprises (SOEs); firms located in the middle and western regions are more incentivized by sister cities in promoting OFDI compared to those in the eastern regions; sister cities have a more pronounced impact on promoting OFDI for firms in the mining and construction industries. These findings offer valuable implications for firm internationalization strategies and policy makers in emerging markets.

Sister cities for the Anthropocene

Sister cities for the Anthropocene

TÜRKİYE’DE AFET YÖNETİMİ VE YENİ BİR MODEL ÖNERİSİ: KARDEŞ ŞEHİR AFET YÖNETİM MODELİ

The concept of interaction, which has found more space in international relations with globalization, has also expanded the field of action of local governments. Sister city relations are among the international collaborations of local governments representing cities, regions and states. Managers of Washington-Hyogo, California-Osaka and Hawaii-Hiroshima sister cities in the USA and Japan and managers various regional non-governmental organizations made some recommendations at the end of the three-day conference process where lessons learned and best practices on planning, preparation and response to natural disasters were shared. Taking these recommendations into consideration, sister city relations were considered as a disaster management model in the context of local governments at national level. In the model, city pairings were made by taking into consideration factors such as fault line, population, cities not being close to each other, geographical location, etc. The main purpose of these pairings is to prevent managerial uncertainty and other weaknesses that may arise in the event of a possible disaster and to take action quickly. With the sister city disaster management model, it is thought that sharing the knowledge and experiences of sister cities regarding past disasters among themselves will provide significant contributions to the cities.

Connect Globally, Thrive Locally: The Spillover Effect of Sister-City Inward FDI on Regional Innovation

Sister cities are a prevalent form of subnational intergovernmental relationships. Such relationships can play an important role in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). However, we know little about whether and how these relationships influence the localized impacts of FDI in host countries, which is pivotal in achieving the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. By integrating the literature on FDI spillover and sister cities, our study proposes that the higher the FDI percentage received by a city from its sister city, the greater the number of patents applied for by firms in that city. Our sample consists of 7273 inward FDI projects into China from 1558 cities in 77 countries between 2003 and 2008. The analysis results support our assumption. We also find that this positive effect is stronger when FDI projects are from recently established sister cities, when the asymmetry in the global economic networks of the two sister cities is smaller, and when regional marketization in host-country is higher.

Navigating Smog: Legislation Addressing Children’s Right to Health in India and Pakistan

The negative consequences of air pollution on children’s health have reached a crisis in some South Asian countries, such as India and Pakistan, particularly in the sister cities of Delhi and Lahore. Urban air pollution poses unique dangers to the health of children. Children are particularly susceptible to the health impacts of smog since their organs and immune systems are still developing. Smog has been related to a variety of chronic health issues, including retarded lung development and cognitive impairment. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) emphasises that all children have the right to grow up in a secure and healthy setting. Governments are obligated to provide children with health care and a safe environment under the CRC. The health of children in heavily populated and industrialised cities like Delhi and Lahore needs legal safeguards. A nuanced picture emerges of the effectiveness of laws protecting children's health during smog in Delhi and Lahore. In Delhi and Lahore, there is a dire need for comprehensive laws to safeguard children's health during smog. Comprehensive legislation is essential to mandate pollution control measures, improve air quality, and ensure a healthier future for the region's children. There are several issues caused by smog, and this article advocates for reforms to the laws in Delhi and Lahore that aim to solve these issues.

Help for Ukrainian Hematology Patients (HUP) - a Global Initiative Supporting the Establishment of Hematology Centers and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Programs in a Time of War

Background In 2021 most of the Ukrainian patients with hematological diseases and in need of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) were treated outside the country with governmental funding or not treated. Only 147 autologous and 6 allogeneic HCT in adults (75 and 33 in children, respectively) in a country of 44 million population were reported to the Worldwide Network for Blood ad Marrow Transplantation (WBMT). In the same year, the European Leukemia Net (ELN) and the WBMT were approached to support or establish sustainable HCT programs for adults in the country. Methods After a site visit at different Ukrainian hospitals in November 2021, daily supervisory telemedicine was initiated in January 2022, immediately before the war in February affected daily life and the existing healthcare in the country. With the mission to establish sustainable care for hematology patients, representatives from major international hematology (ASH, ASCO, EHA, DGHO, ECO), transplant organizations (WBMT, EBMT, ASTCT) and physicians from multiple Ukrainian institutions formed the HUP (Help for Ukrainian Hematology Patients) network with the participation of the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO). On weekly video conference meetings, the need and solutions were discussed starting with a list of patients in need for treatment. Results Patients were allocated according to their wishes in Ukrainian Hospitals or abroad with the help of EBMT, WBMT, EHA and ECO. In the same time, the daily grand rounds were pursued to help Ukrainian physicians to treat patients with blood disorders remaining in the country. While many drugs were already available, a list of drugs not available and not registered in the Ukraine was created. Medicines were donated from different sources including sister cities, governments and EU commission. In parallel, standard operating procedures were provided to the institutions. Despite war and during bombing, autologous HCT activities continued and allogeneic HCT programs for adults initiated. To ensure highest quality, the EBMT instituted a routine tumor board with global experts to discuss the indication for treatments and, if this was not possible in the country (e.g. CAR-T cell, bispecific antibody treatment), transfer to transplant centers abroad was organized. In order to identify unrelated transplant donors, the Ukrainian unrelated donor search and registry was supported. The cooperation of the Ukrainian institutions with regard to exchange of drugs and other needs was impressive and a transplant society (UABMT) for adult and pediatric patients with the participation of all Ukrainian centers was founded. The volume of allogeneic HCT in adult patients increased rapidly to 45 patients from related, unrelated and haploidentical donors at the BMT center in Kyiv, in the Cherkhasy Regional Hospital in Cherkhasy, and in the Children Hospital “Ohmatdyt” in Kyiv (Table 1) in the same year 2022. Autologous HSCT also increased in these and other hospitals in Lviv and Kyiv. The activities are now continuously increasing and will reach an even higher number in 2023. It rapidly became apparent that with HCT also the other hematological infrastructure had to be improved. While basic hematological diagnostics were available in the Ukraine, a possibility to have the most sophisticated diagnostics was created with the help of ASH and ASTCT. Blood or marrow samples from the whole country are now transferred weekly to the Munich Leukemia Lab (MLL) laboratory to be tested for cytological, cytogenetical, immunophenotyping, and molecular analyses and results made available to Ukrainian hospitals within a few days free of charge. Up to now samples from 341 patients from all Ukraine have been analyzed at diagnosis and at different time points during their treatment. Conclusion Despite the hostile environment, intense cooperation and support by international societies, private institutions, WHO, together with the personal involvement of the committed local physicians and the Ministry of Health were able to provide an example on how to establish a sustainable healthcare system for hematological patients in a low resource country in extreme distress. This effort represents a model that by using solidarity and new technologies may greatly impact other countries affected by socio-economic, or conflict challenges. SK, IK and MA, TH, AG, AS, DR, DN contributed equally

INDONESIA'S FOREIGN RELATIONS THROUGH REGIONAL AUTONOMY: EVALUATION STUDY THE SISTER CITY OF MEDAN AND PENANG IN 2010-2022

Abstract The autonomous cooperation policy between the cities of Medan and Penang was established in 1984. Since its inception, this cooperation has resulted in various mutually beneficial cooperation for both parties involved. The purpose of this study is to assess previous examples of cooperation to identify shortcomings in the programs that have been implemented. By addressing these shortcomings, future efforts can aim to limit mistakes and reduce gaps in benefits achieved. This study utilized a qualitative research approach and used Publish or Perish 8 software to identify relevant data sources for the purpose of this paper. International cooperation theory serves as a framework to assess the effectiveness of existing cooperation efforts. The findings of this research will shed light on the extent of the collaboration that has been developed such as modifying the way sister cities are around as one of the foundations in evaluating the cooperation that has been established and then analyzing and interpreting these findings in the discussion section.

Social and environmental determinants influencing injection drug use and HIV risk among two sister cities on the US–Mexico border: a comparative cross-sectional study, 2016–2018

The economic, social, cultural and political milieus that influence injection drug-related HIV risk behaviors along the US–Mexico border in the previous decade have been studied comparing cities on an East–West axis. In an effort to inform interventions targeting factors beyond the individual level, we used a cross-sectional study design comparing people who inject drugs during 2016–2018, living on a North–South axis, in two cities—Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico and El Paso, Texas, USA—situated at the midpoint of the 2000 US–Mexico borderland stretch. We conceptualize injection drug use and its antecedents and consequences as influenced by factors operating at various levels of influence. Results of analysis comparing samples recruited from each border city indicated significant differences in demographic, socioeconomic, micro- and macro-level factors that affect risk. Similarities emerged in individual-level risk behaviors and some dynamics of risk at the drug use site most frequented to use drugs. In addition, analyses testing associations across samples indicated that different contextual factors such as characteristics of the drug use sites influenced syringe sharing. In this article, we reflect on the potential tailored interventions needed to target the context of HIV transmission risk among people who use drugs and reside in binational environment.

Asessing the Impacts of Paradiplomacy on Batam-Singapore Cooperation: A Case Study in Tourism, Economic Growth, and Infrastructure Development

Paradiplomacy is a concept that enables sub-national entities to establish relationships with counterparts in other countries. One form of paradiplomacy is sister cities, where local governments of one country collaborate with regional governments from other countries to jointly develop their respective regions. The partnership between Batam and Singapore City as sister cities focuses primarily on promoting tourism, while also enhancing cooperation in the development of Batam across various sectors, such as investment, transportation, tourism, labor, and agribusiness. Additionally, they collaborate on projects like the development of Funtasy Island. This research adopts a qualitative methodology, drawing from a range of sources, including research articles, journals, and the latest news updates from all involved parties. The theory of international cooperation is applied to establish correlations between the concepts of paradiplomacy and sister cities, aligning with the study's objectives and discussion. Batam's paradiplomacy efforts operate within the scope of Indonesia's Free Trade Zone (FTZ). Notably, investment emerges as a key focal point, with Batam selected as a primary and priority target for future investments in the region.

Лингвистическое кодирование объектов годонимического пространства Волгограда и Севастополя

The article is devoted to the description of the linguistic codes of two sister cities – Volgograd and Sevastopol. The coinciding names of linear objects situated in two cities constitute the object of the study. The names are indicated in the official documents of Volgograd City Administration and Sevastopol Department of Architecture and Urban Planning. The undertaken analysis resulted in identification of considerable quantity of similar names. The hodonyms of symbolic, vegetative and anthropogenic linguistic codes were found to have major similarity, which is largely due to the tendency to avoid ideological, historical and personal reference, and assign neutral names to new linear objects. Minor matches occur in hodonyms that realize material, social-and-collective linguistic codes. The nominations that actualize the material code follow the tendency of assigning ideologically unmarked names. The historical heritage of the Soviet Union accounts for the coincidence of names that implement the social-and-collective code. The fewest matches were found in the topographic, memorative (both individual and group) code and names denoting professional activities. This is stipulated by different geographical conditions in which the settlements are located, and their economies. The memorative code also differs substantially and reflects the citizens' striving to commemorate historical figures, military units and other unions that had significant impact on each of the cities. The study carried out has enabled the author to identify the hodonyms, which demonstrate ambiguity in realizing some linguistic codes.

Extending the cultural-economic model of public relations through Bourdieu’s theoretical lens to inform public diplomacy efforts

Several scholars have addressed the convergence of public relations and public diplomacy theories, and many have argued that public diplomacy needs to move beyond normative theories of communication. Yet little scholarly work has been done to date. To fill this gap, this study explores how critical and postmodern theoretical approaches can inform public diplomacy practice by extending the cultural–economic model (CEM) of public relations through Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice. Based on interviews with organizational members of Sister Cities International (SCI), this study suggests that critical–cultural and postmodern perspectives can inform SCI’s public diplomacy efforts by considering larger structural factors in tension with agency. Thus, this study contributes to both the development of robust international public relations theory and theory building in the public diplomacy field. Findings indicate that drawing on Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice (1997), social capital contributes to the notion of institutionalized relationships, such as family or resources, that individuals acquire through group memberships as found in articulations within the CEM. Additionally, although the CEM explains the connection between culture and power in creating meaning, Bourdieu’s notion of cultural capital makes explicit a focus on education, which is a significant focus of many public diplomacy efforts. Therefore, the term cultural capital provides additional insight into the model to inform public diplomacy efforts. Thus, this study extends the CEM through Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice by indicating the role of social capital and cultural capital in SCI’s public diplomacy efforts.

Pathways to Greening Border Cities: A Policy Analysis for Green Infrastructure in Ambos Nogales

Green infrastructure (GI) has been proposed as a decentralized solution to complex urban water management issues. However, public policy remains a critical challenge for the wide adoption of GI, which is exacerbated in transboundary settings. We draw from public policy theory to analyze GI policies at the US–Mexico border. We examine the case of Ambos Nogales—two sister cities grappling with complex water management challenges. We examined existing policies and evaluated their impact on the implementation of GI at multiple levels (local, state, national, and binational). We also conducted interviews and a focus group with stakeholders. Our analysis unveils a set of barriers to the adoption of GI and a suite of opportunities for the enactment of GI policies. We outline five pathways for greening border cities, including (i) creating market-based GI incentives, (ii) adopting the net-zero urban water approach, (iii) engaging with existing institutions for greening efforts, (iv) planning for a GI network at the watershed scale, and (v) supporting local champions. By addressing shortcomings of policy and regulatory frameworks hindering local capacity, border cities will be more likely to adopt and widely implement GI solutions for more sustainable urban water management.

Analisa Faktor Penyebab Kegagalan Sister Cities di Indonesia

This study aims to analyze the failure of cooperation sister city. This research focuses on cooperation sister cities carried out by several local governments, which leads to the unsuccessful achievement of cooperation or even failure. The complexity of issues in international relations facilitates the emergence of local actors who play a role in foreign relations activities. The emergence of this sub-state actor is one of the impacts of a country's decentralization and regional autonomy policies so that the regions can participate in foreign relations. This study uses qualitative research methods through a literature review. In analyzing qualitative data, the author uses software, computer namely vosviewer. This study uses 20 journals from various cities in Indonesia that discuss the failure of sister cities. This study concludes that not all collaborations can run smoothly or as agreed. The failure occurred due to two factors, namely internal and external factors. The internal factors that occurred were the lack of communication between the two cities and the absence of significant results related to cooperation, then several external factors that occurred, such as changes in policies of the two regions, then policies at the global level impact on the state and influence local government policies.

THE INNOVATIVE POTENTIAL OF THE REGION THROUGH THE PRISM OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMPONENTS

Abstract. The purpose of the article is to determine the importance of innovative development of the region through the prism of the components of sustainable development of cities: economic, social and ecological. The innovative potential of the region through the strategy of sustainable development under the conditions of maintaining a harmonious balance between economic, social and ecological components has been studied. The main modern aspects of the implementation of innovations in the Strategy have been updated. For EU countries, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy is mandatory and one that requires constant changes in accordance with the transformational processes in society, the environment and the country’s economy. The international standards and provisions of the current legislation of Ukraine on the specifi ed issues have been analyzed. It is proven that the analysis of the level of innovation implementation must be studied at the regional level. It is proven that the analysis of the level of innovation implementation must be studied at the regional level. It is determined that Based on the experience of the EU countries, Ukraine formed its own Strategy, which is based on a SWOT analysis and an analysis of policy gaps, legislative acts, programs and plans in eight spheres of activity: economy, social policy, nature use and environmental protection, agriculture, energy, transport, regional and local development, education and science. The Development Strategy of the city of Kremenchuk for the period until 2028 has been analyzed and innovative aspects have been determined in terms of three components: economic, ecological, and social. The importance of introducing innovations into the strategy of sustainable development at the regional level is substantiated. Monitoring of modern trends in the innovative development of cities was carried out. During the research, scientifi c methods were used: theoretical generalization, analysis and synthesis, comparison, scientifi c abstraction. A further promising direction of research is the examination of innovative technologies and the impact of digitization on the sustainable development of the region, as well as the study of best practices of sister cities of EU countries to borrow positive best practices in the fi eld of digitization and smartization. Keywords: sustainable development strategy, innovative development, regional development, economic innovations, ecological innovations, social innovations.

A new model of Russian-Chinese trade and economic cooperation: Establishing the Center of Legal Services Saint Petersburg — Shanghai

Shanghai and Saint Petersburg are sister cities. Shanghai was the very first sister city of Saint Petersburg in China. The cities are linked by long-term fruitful humanitarian and economic ties. Economic cooperation between the two cities has been and remains one of the priorities of interaction for the development of cities. Saint Petersburg — Shanghai economic cooperation has great potential. The level of cooperation on the range of economic and other issues is constantly expanding, the demand for legal assistance is also increasing, respectively. Therefore, the establishment of the Center of Legal Services Saint Petersburg — Shanghai is of great importance. This Center will be committed to the development and prosperity of the two cities, expanding mutually beneficial trade, economic and investment cooperation, broadening and deepening cooperation ties in various economic sectors, consolidation of legal services resources and establishment of a mechanism for communication and coordination between government departments and enterprises of the two cities, conducting specialized Webinars dedicated to the establishment of the Center of Legal Services Saint Petersburg — Shanghai and various legal topics, publishing a white paper, legal branding, successful holding of the Forum on the legal services of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, strengthening the docking of high-quality projects, creating a new model of economic and trade cooperation, consolidation of the foundation for Sino-Russian economic and trade cooperation, creation of an integrated single digital platform for the exchange of information; information exchange for further discussion of issues of cooperation in such areas of mutual interest as legal control by legislative bodies, prevention and control during the pandemic, trade and economic development and humanitarian exchanges for enterprises of Russia and China, in order to give impetus to the further development of relations between Saint Petersburg and Shanghai as sister cities.

From Sister Cities to “Macroregions Paradiplomacy”: A Search of Russo-Chinese Cooperation New Forms (on 10 Years of Volga–Yangtze Regional Program)

The article analyses Volga-Yangtze Regional Cooperation Program as an example of the new forms of Russo-Chinese cooperation as the Program is aimed at developing economic and cultural relations between the regions that are located not only far from the state borders but in the central parts of Russia and China respectively. This Program was launched in 2013. The results after 10 years of implementation are far from being considered a breakthrough in the regional cooperation that can be explained by low level of connection between the regions of both the Volga and the Yangtze rivers as well as adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022) which caused many projects to be put on hold. Although one of the main and most obvious aim of the Program was the development of the trade and investment cooperation between not peripheral but central regions of the two countries, the humanitarian relations within this paradiplomacy still seem to be the most perspective fields of the bilateral cooperation. In fact, along with traditional framework of sister cities relations, we are witnessing the emerging of the new form of relations, i.e. “sister regions”. In the future, considering the importance of public and paradiplomacy for further development of Russo-Chinese cooperation, similar programs are expected to be launched in order to bust cooperation between other regions of the two countries.

Changes in the Relations of Sister Cities in Russia Post-2022

Changes in the Relations of Sister Cities in Russia Post-2022