Semarang, as the capital city of Central Java province, Indonesia, has been exercising its own diplomacy in pursuit of its interests related to economy and disaster. Under the leadership of mayor named Mr. Hendrar “Hendi” Prihadi, the city administration has been practicing city diplomacy as a means to attract both domestic and foreign investors by convening a business forum, called Semarang Business Forum (Sembiz), and to explore partnership in building the city’s disaster resilience by joining a city network, called 100 Resilient Cities (100RC). According to the argument by Keating (1999) in explaining Para diplomacy, this paper argues that Hendi administration’s strategies in exercising city diplomacy were shaped by its motives, as reflected in Regional Long Term Development Plan (RPJMD), and the opportunity structure in terms of existing regimes where the city could observe suitable cooperation. This paper finds that Hendi administration benefited from city diplomacy in solving local urban issues, such as the tidal and flash flooding problem in the coastal area of Semarang.

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