Subnational Actors Research Articles

Lobster Diplomacy: Nova Scotia and the Provincial Role in Canada-China Relations

This article concerns the increasingly significant role of subnational entities in international relations, using Nova Scotia's engagement with China as a case study. It highlights the period from 2010 to 2023, during which Nova Scotia leveraged its key export—lobsters—to establish and deepen economic and diplomatic ties with China, thereby carving out an influential role in the broader Canada-China relationship. The article provides an overview of subnational diplomacy's growing importance in international relations. The theoretical framework centres on subnational actors in global diplomacy and examines how Nova Scotia pursued independent diplomatic efforts with China, focusing on economic interests. The case study investigates lobster exports as the cornerstone of Nova Scotia-China relations, driving both economic benefits and diplomatic engagement. Finally, it touches on the economic outcomes for Nova Scotia and the political dynamics between federal and provincial authorities, concluding with broader implications for Canada's foreign policy and subnational actors in international diplomacy.

The Interaction of Substate Actors with the Global Public:

This article aims to explain the external persuasive actions of the Aceh Provincial Government in maintaining its Islamic identity through “The Light of Aceh” branding towards the global community. This action is referred to as paradiplomacy. As one of the subnational actors in Indonesia, Aceh Province is an area that has social and political dynamics from before independence to the present. Aceh has a distinctive identity and culture known as Serambi Mekah. Because of its efforts to maintain this identity, Aceh once fought for independence from Indonesia. Aceh's paradiplomacy certainly has different dynamics. However, the effort to maintain its identity has been a struggle from the past to the present. In the independence era, Aceh tried to fight for its identity with the struggle for independence, but in the post-independence era, Aceh fought for its regional interests through the framework of Regional Autonomy by establishing foreign relations and diplomacy to the global community. This research uses the theories of paradiplomacy and social identity to explain the persuasive actions taken by the Aceh Provincial Government through paradiplomacy to maintain its social identity. This research uses a qualitative method with data collection from interviews with relevant informants, documentation studies and internet-based studies. The results of this research show that the Aceh Provincial Government's paradiplomacy efforts to maintain its Islamic identity are carried out through branding “The Light of Aceh” by incorporating Islamic values in various components of the branding such as the main values of branding, logo philosophy, and branding commercial advertising videos. These values are socialised to the global community through various international activities by showcasing culture in dances, poems of clothing at international festivals, so that Aceh is better known by the global community with its Islamic identity.

Road through a broken place: the BRI in post-coup Myanmar

In the wake of the 2021 coup, Myanmar experienced a renewed civil war that has fragmented the country along a myriad of old and new conflict lines. Despite the high-intensity violence across many regions of the country, China is still pursuing an ambitious connectivity project under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): The China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) is meant to connect Myanmar to the Chinese market and boost Myanmar’s industrial development. However, the challenging post-coup environment has required significant changes in China’s approach to local infrastructure development and empowered a new set of subnational actors on both sides of the border. This article analyzes how CMEC has fared since the coup, and how the fragmentation of Myanmar has gone hand in hand with that of Chinese agency in the country. Contrary to prevailing descriptions of the BRI as a coherent, strategic, and top-down project, we argue that the case of Myanmar exposes the degree to which it is shaped by local interests and circumstances, and the limits of centralized BRI implementation. Finally, it is likely that adjustments in Chinese policy triggered by the situation in Myanmar will have more long-term consequences for the future of the BRI, specifically a more direct involvement in local security efforts and greater engagement with local authorities beyond the central government.

Collective local liberalism: orchestrated local governments and the expansion of the BRI

ABSTRACT What drives the varied performance of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects? Can the central state’s role and the participating nations’ development needs fully account for the success or failure of individual BRI projects? This article challenges the dominant state-centric perspective, suggesting it falls short in elucidating the heterogeneous results of BRI projects. Through a comparative analysis of the Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation Zone (PBGECZ) and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), the study reveals the impact of local government collaboration on the efficacy of China’s foreign policy. By proposing collective local liberalism, we argue that cooperative dynamics, rather than competitive, are crucial for the success of the BRI. This nuanced approach underscores the necessity of a collaborative framework among subnational actors to enhance the execution and outcomes of BRI projects, offering a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese foreign policy.

Перспективи розвитку транскордонного співробітництва на рівні місцевого самоврядування в Україні

The irreversible course of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is vividly demonstrated every day in the media by the unwavering support of our country by international partners and organisations, as well as by the top officials of foreign states. The key task is to adapt the acquis communautaire into the national legislation of Ukraine. All reforms are taking place in parallel with the Ukrainian government’s accession negotiations, starting with the ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in 2014. An integral attribute of EU accession is the implementation of decentralisation reforms, including the development of cross-border cooperation of territorial communities. This is an important tool for the development of regions, cities and territorial communities, especially those bordering on neighbouring countries or having partnerships with territorial partners in other countries. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU countries have virtually unanimously expressed political support for our country. The EU candidate status granted to Ukraine allows us to create the best conditions for the development of cross-border cooperation. Regardless of the duration of Ukraine’s accession process, the prospect of Ukraine’s membership in the EU has become a political reality and will sooner or later mean its integration into the EU single market and the Schengen area. Cross-border cooperation of subnational actors should be seen as a tool for territorial development of regions and communities, which ultimately benefits the whole country and should be in the public interest. State support for the development of cross-border cooperation at the regional and local level should be understood as a necessary investment that brings mutual benefits to all its partners. They will be able to use the opportunities offered by EU programmes for cross-border cooperation through various funding projects. In addition, such cooperation is of public interest to every European country. The state is obliged to be interested in this and provide opportunities to develop such cooperation. Therefore, in June 2024, the Law of Ukraine ‘On International Territorial Cooperation of Ukraine’ was recently adopted, which addresses a number of shortcomings and problems of local government functioning within the framework of international cooperation between territorial communities and regions of foreign countries.

Analysing the local governance of internal displacement: an emerging (local) social contract in eastern Ukraine since 2014

There is growing recognition of the challenges faced by internally displaced people as well as the potential for subnational actors to contribute to durable solutions. Despite this, we know little about local government responses, both in theory and practice. This paper draws on governance theories, practitioner experience and secondary literature to analyse the governance context, processes and interactions that shape the experience of internal displacement in eastern Ukraine between 2014 and 2022. It argues that nascent relationships built between internally displaced people and local governments in eastern Ukraine reveal the possibility of bottom-up state-led responses. The paper intervenes in debates around rebuilding a “social contract” as a mechanism for resolving displacement, demonstrating why attention must be paid to how this occurs at local levels in places of refuge.

Applying Insights from China: A Typology for Subnational Comparative Politics

AbstractIn this study, we draw on theories of subnational analysis and comparison to introduce a novel framework for better understanding central-local dynamics in China. We argue that careful consideration along the dimensions of interests and information of national and subnational actors can allow us to predict how the central state evaluates local actors, variation in local implementation, and the potential for findings to be generalized to settings beyond China. We apply this 2$$\times$$ × 2 typology to several policy areas—social stability, social security, environmental governance, and economic development—to derive expectations about the behavior of central and local states, and identify when researchers can (and cannot) treat subnational units as independent observations. By identifying the underlying dynamics of central-local relations in different policy domains, this typology provides researchers with tools to construct a more precise analytical framework and helps scholars of Chinese politics conducting subnational analyses design research agendas better able to contribute to the larger comparative politics literature.

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.”

Цифровизация международных связей российских регионов (на примере Республики Татарстан)

Being involved in complex processes of global politics, subnational actors face a lot of challenges, including the growing impact of global digitalization of international relations. The subject of this study are issues of practical use of information technologies in paradiplomacy and adequate response by regional authorities to digital transformation of international relations. Studying the case of the Republic of Tatarstan which systematically applies digital technologies in the field of international relations contributed to identifying priority areas for digitalization of paradiplomacy. The study used regulations and state origin documents of federal and regional levels, and materials produced by international organizations. Basic trends of digitalization of paradiplomacy include issues of development and implementation of management decisions based on the interaction of remote partners together with information support for international cooperation. The work considers the variety of implementation of digital technologies, identifies status of communication members in paradiplomacy, and different forms of communication. The importance of integrating electronic document management with information systems to support decision making is substantiated. The issues of creating special purpose information services for participants in foreign economic activity, cultural and humanitarian relations are considered. The experience of the Republic of Tatarstan testifies the need of legal regulation at the regional level to provide efficient use of information technologies by government authorities. Actual areas of digitalization include development of feedback forms with participants in external relations and creating computer systems of processing data sets to substantiate decision-making.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CONCEPT OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN MODERN SCIENTIFIC DISCOURSE: THE ROLE OF PARADIPLOMACY

The article reveals the essence of the concept of public diplomacy and a retrospective of its formation in the current scientific discourse. It is noted that the field of US public diplomacy is quite actively researched by modern scientists. It is shown that the term “public diplomacy” should be understood as the activity of various actors, both governmental and non-governmental, which is intended to explain to the foreign public the foreign policy pursued by the country and to encourage this or that state to make its foreign policy decisions in the direction that is beneficial to the given actor . It has been established that the concept of “cultural diplomacy” is narrower than the concept of “public diplomacy”, which should be understood as a set of activities carried out by both central and foreign bodies of external relations of the state with the aim of researching the attitude and informing the foreign public. as well as establishing contacts abroad, with the aim of improving the state’s image and achieving national interests. So, in the United States of America, there is no separation of “cultural diplomacy” from “public diplomacy”. The concept of paradiplomacy is also considered as a tool of activity of subnational actors in the international arena and components of diplomatic communication processes taking place in the modern world. It has been proven that paradiplomacy is an integral part of modern international relations along with public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy.

The role of sub-national actors in coordinative Europeanisation: insights from the digitalisation of asylum services

AbstractCoordinative Europeanisation is a powerful frame to explain the rapid response of EU institutions in times of permanent emergency. So far, though, little is known about sub-national actors’ role in this process. Moving away from a state-centric approach, this article investigates the role of sub-national actors through the case study of the digital provision of services to asylum seekers. Given the field’s high salience and state-centric nature, this article elucidates the critical role of European sub-national actors, particularly at the municipality level, to accelerate the digital provision of services to refugees. Comparing 3 European cities (Paris, Palermo and Malaga), we argue that sub-national actors can play a role in coordinative Europeanisation and that 2 main mechanisms may enable it. In the cases observed, discursive coordination around humanitarian duty facilitated the emergence of similar digital solutions across countries. Subsequently, horizontal and vertical networking was used by sub-national actors to legitimise their actions and enhance their anchoring in processes of coordinative Europeanisation.

Identifying East Java Trade Interest Through Paradiplomacy Initiatives - Analysis on Actors, Processes and Goals of Diplomacy

This research explores the paradiplomacy activities of the East Java Government's Department of Industry and Trade in improving international trade relations. Through initiatives such as business matching, trade fairs, and foreign trade missions, the government collaborates with trade attachés, ITPCs, and foreign trade representatives to promote Indonesian exports and attract foreign investment. By achieving strong trade performance, East Java has succeeded in attracting investment, increasing export value, and actively contributing to Indonesia's international trade. This study emphasizes the important role of local governments in advancing international trade for regional development and national interests. Through programs such as business matching, foreign trade missions, international exhibitions and market brief webinars. The East Java government uses paradiplomacy to strengthen international trade relations. This research underlines the role of subnational actors in increasing economic growth and Indonesia's foreign trade balance.

From legacy to integration in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative: looking back to look forward

IntroductionThe Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is a global single-disease programme with an extensive infrastructure in some of the world’s most underserved areas. It provides a key example of the...

Bavaria's external relations

Importance. The current state of Bavaria’s foreign relations and their main problems are considered, and ways to solve them are proposed. A special emphasis is placed on the role of Bavaria in solving the federal tasks of Germany in the field of foreign policy, for this purpose the concept of auxillary paradiplomacy by Y.G. Akimov is used. The relevance of the study is dictated by the lack of work in the scientific field representing a relevant and modern analysis of the state of Bavaria’s foreign policy. The purpose of the research is to update the study of Bavaria’s foreign relations at the present time. The high level of institutional development, the complexity and interconnectedness of the implemented programs at the level of this federal state are emphasized.Materials and Methods. The main materials are the official Ministries websites of Bavaria and representatives of the Land abroad, as well as reports of the EU commissions on interregional cooperation. To solve the tasks set, the institutional method is used in the context of considering the main actors of Bavaria’s foreign policy and their functions, as well as the “case-study” method for analyzing cooperation between Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Results and Discussion. Using the example of the Strategy for the Development of Relations between Bavaria and the Czech Republic from 2019, the multifactorial nature of Bavaria’s external relations, as well as a well-thought-out institutional design of cooperation, are demonstrated.Conclusion. The Bavarian model can be successfully implemented in other regions (including Russia) seeking greater global cooperation. This model is contrasted with the traditional model of development of external relations of subnational actors, focused mainly on trade; its advantages are emphasized.

Para-diplomacy's Role in Central Asian Transboundary Water Cooperation: An Assessment of Subnational Actors

This paper aims at identifying how Para diplomacy influences the Transboundary Water Cooperation in Central Asia with a special reference to the non-state and sub-state actors. This research aims at finding out what para diplomacy is, why it is done, the benefits and the risks associated with doing para diplomacy especially in managing the shared water resources. The research method used in the study combines the scenario mapping, typology analysis, and comparative case studies in order to obtain data from the Central Asian context. Thus, the reason for the findings is to increase an understanding of the Para diplomacy enhancement of transboundary water security.

Property Institutions and State Capacity: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese Agricultural Projects in Zambia

A long-standing literature argues that African states have weak capacity, especially in regulating land. Increasingly, scholarly work on foreign land acquisition in developing countries recognizes that the African states and subnational actors have played an important and diverse role in (re)structuring access and control over land and natural resources. I contribute to this scholarship by focusing on the role of African property institutions and propose a land tenure regime theory as the mechanism through which foreign agricultural projects and African state capacity interact. By process-tracing three Chinese agricultural projects in Zambia as typical cases, I show that Zambian state structures investment strategies of Chinese investors through different configurations of rule of land access, transfer and control in each LTR. Furthermore, Zambian state capacity in enforcing contract and projecting infrastructural power can be reinforced or tested through investing CAgriIs in different LTRs. My findings challenge the ‘weak state’ argument and raise important questions of how African governments should approach rural development on customary land.

Do presidents favor co-partisan mayors in the allocation of federal grants?

Do presidents favor co-partisan mayors in the allocation of federal grants?

Accidental paradiplomats? The curious case of Ontario school board budgets and Canadian soft power projection.

From the earliest studies of soft power in International Relations, the importance of educational exchanges has been well-established. Studies of international education in the context of Canadian soft power often draw on cases from the higher education sector. This article argues that greater attention should be paid to the K-12 level, especially as budgetary pressures in Ontario's education system are leading school boards to rapidly expand their international student recruitment efforts. Although this is not an example of intentional soft power projection, it nevertheless represents an important reminder that subnational actors may accidentally become paradiplomats whose actions have consequences on the international level. Further, this case reveals the importance of paying attention to actors typically overlooked by IR scholarship. Drawing on Joseph Nye's theory of soft power and in conversation with prior research on international education as a mechanism of soft power projection, this article traces the thread between budgetary pressures in Ontario school boards and the broader context of soft power projection.

Management Practices and Implementation Challenges in District Education Directorates in Ghana

Background: Subnational actors and organizations are crucial mediators of policy implementation due to their proximity to schools. However, in low- and middle-income country contexts, little is known about their management practices and factors that shape the adoption of these practices to improve education delivery. Purpose: We explore the management context of five District Education Directorates in Ghana, and the factors that enable or constrain them to plan and implement policy. Participants: Forty-three interviews and focus groups with regional and district education officials, district political actors, and basic education school headteachers and teachers. Research Design: A qualitative study of semistructured interviews, focus groups, and education policy and planning documents. Analysis: To understand how policy implementation happens within complex, multitiered bureaucracies, our theoretical framework uses four management functions described in Williams et al. (2021) to explore two different paradigms of how to change public bureaucracies: target setting and prioritization; measurement and monitoring; accountability and incentives; and problem-solving. We coded and analyzed our data based on this framework and developed district-wide narrative memos to synthesize the findings. Findings: We identify three areas of (mis)alignment in management practices: across bureaucratic levels and among actors; around clear and consistent priorities for learning; in expected actions and availability of resources. These (mis)alignments can constrain or be leveraged by districts to improve education delivery in Ghana. Implications: We argue for better prioritization of goals toward learning and the efficient allocation of funds for management practices typical of effective organizations.

Наднациональный уровень регулирования в реализации общей рыболовной политики ЕС

The article examines the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) of the European Union in the context of its developments at the supranational level of governance. Although the CFP is rarely scrutinized by political scientists, the policy has a considerable political dimension due to states’ sovereign interests in the seas, their connections to the social stability of coastal communities, and the escalating struggle over access to the overexploited marine bioresources. The political basis of the Common Fisheries Policy lies in the principle of relative stability which was established in the early stages of the policy development and represents a political compromise between member states regarding catch shares. The current institutional framework of the CFP results from a recent reform initiated in 2013, influenced by the Lisbon Treaty, and eventually entered into force in 2019. This reform finalized the introduction of the sustainable development agenda into policy, which changes the institutional balance and strengthens the role of supranational authorities. Hence, the Common Fisheries Policy may be characterized as a predominantly supranational policy. Brexit and the increasing importance of the external policy dimension underpin the role of the EU institutions. However, the Council has preserved the exclusive prerogative to set quantitative limits on catches, which prevents the complete communitarization of the policy. In this way, growing politization overlaps with the ever-increasing technical complexity of the CFP. The former stems from the European Parliament activism and the supranational demand for expertise from the industry and expert community. As a result, the Commission empowers subnational actors in order to gain an advantage vis-à-vis national authorities that pursue their own interests over the community ones. Also, the article reveals the functional spillover in action, especially as a result of supranational effort to reach sustainable catches, namely multiannual plans, landing obligation. It requires new policy instruments along with general oversight by the Commission.