East Asian subnational government involvement in the Arctic: a case for paradiplomacy?

Abstract

The globalised Arctic has in recent years witnessed an influx of extra-regional actors, many of whom come from East Asia. Although there is an abundance of analysis of the roles of East Asian nation-states—including Japan and China—in Arctic governance and resource development, research on East Asian subnational governments’ (SNGs) increased Arctic engagement has not drawn much attention. Leaning on the concept of paradiplomacy and being particularly inspired by Alexander S. Kuznetsov’s explanatory framework for the study of SNGs’ involvement in international relations, this study examines the motives behind East Asian subnational governments’ involvement in Arctic affairs and the attitudes of national governments towards this involvement. Based on the study of Hokkaido Prefecture in Japan and the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning in China, this article argues that the East Asian SNGs’ Arctic initiatives are mainly based on economic objectives, especially those connected with new transportation routes in the Arctic Ocean. Scientific cooperation also plays an important role in the evolving subnational Arctic engagement. At the national level, East Asian SNGs are actively interacting with their respective central governments, which have, in general, been supportive of their Arctic endeavours.

Keywords:

• Paradiplomacy
• subnational government
• East Asia
• Arctic
• China
• Japan

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Acknowledgments

Dr Martin Kossa would like to express his gratitude to the Department of Asian and International Studies at City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, where he was working at the time when the first manuscript of this article was drafted, for supporting his research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum that promotes cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Canada, the US and Russia), Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues (such as sustainable development and environmental protection).

2 Early unpublished work using the same framework includes Tonami (2015), later published as Tonami (2020).

3 A Japanese term used to refer to the four disputed islands that are often understood to be a part of the Kuril Islands.

4 The Primorye 1 plans to connect Harbin with the Russian Asia-Pacific ports Vladivostok and Nakhodka. The Primorye 2 plans to connect Changchun, Hunchun with the Russian Asia-Pacific port of Zarubino.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Martin Kossa

Dr Martin Kossa is Assistant Professor at the College of Foreign Studies, Kansai Gaidai University. His research is focusing on China’s engagement with the Arctic region.

Marina Lomaeva

Marina Lomaeva is the University-Industry-Government Partnership Coordinator of International Affairs Department of Hokkaido University.

Juha Saunavaara

Dr Juha Saunavaara is Assistant Professor at the Hokkaido University Arctic Research Center. His research focuses on communications and transport infrastructure projects in the Arctic and north as well as on relations between Arctic and non-Arctic actors.