When diplomats meet: the diplomatic corps, sociability, and China

Abstract

This dissertation is about the sociable aspect of diplomacy. It explores the internal dynamics of the diplomatic corps in bilateral settings. It does so by looking at three inter-related questions: how diplomats socialize with each other; whether being sociable matters; and how Chinese diplomats engage with their counterparts from other countries. Anchored in practice theory, the study takes a comparative case study approach and draws on fieldwork in Ankara and Oslo from 2022 to 2024. Findings challenge stereotypes of Chinese diplomacy as uniformly assertive or reserved, highlighting variations shaped by political, economic, and cultural contexts of host countries. A multi-method approach, integrating elite interviews and observations, navigates methodological barriers and enriches understanding of China’s diplomatic practices abroad. Interviewing diverse non-Chinese elite actors proved valuable in reconstructing otherwise inaccessible practices of Chinese diplomats. Overall, the dissertation shows the value of exploring the backstage of diplomacy and underlines the potential of studying bilateral diplomacy as a barometer for broader geopolitical dynamics.