This book explores how Chinese border provinces have become actors in international relations. Through an analysis of the international actorness — the inherent characteristics of a subnational entity as an international player — of Yunnan and two other geographically peripheral provinces, Guangdong and Guangxi, the domestic, economic and legislative circumstances that motivated these provinces to conduct transboundary engagements is determined. The study is based on an extensive field study including interviews with those involved in the implementation of Yunnan’s foreign agenda, representatives from province-owned enterprises, universities and think tanks, and officials and experts from the countries neighbouring Yunnan. Acknowledging the role of external geopolitics, the authors analyse the efforts of these border provinces to incentivise neighbouring countries to cooperate with them on areas of trade, investment and non-traditional security. Yao Song and Tianyang Liu also observe how border provinces have leveraged their paradiplomatic strengths to affect China’s foreign relations with neighbouring countries. This volume will appeal to researchers, academics and postgraduates in political science, international relations, and diplomacy as well as geography, Southeast Asian politics, political economy, Chinese periphery diplomacy, and non-federal paradiplomacy.