ABSTRACT
This chapter establishes the theoretical foundations for analyzing Yunnan’s international actorness by reviewing relevant literature. In doing so, the chapter outlines the historical context of nation-states and non-state actors in world politics and discusses the views of IR theorists regarding state centralism and non-state actors. The evolution of paradiplomacy is examined as well, and three important periods are identified. The literature on Chinese provinces’ engagement in world politics is also reviewed, highlighting the framing of central–provincial relations and geographic bias in the reviewed works. To develop a comprehensive analytical framework for exploring the international actorness of Chinese border provinces, the chapter proposes jointly using the actorness theory and the paradiplomacy concept.
