Inadequacy of Paradiplomacy Theory?: The Case of Fukuoka and Thailand
Keywords:
Paradiplomacy, Inadequacy, Fukuoka, Thailand, Motives and GoalsAbstract
The explanatory framework of paradiplomacy emerged as a new field of research in the 1970s, which has subsequently evolved to explain the involvement of the sub-national governments’ engagement in international affairs. This paper aims to examine whether the theoretical model of paradiplomacy proposed by Alexander Kuznetsov (2015) is sufficient to analyse the Fukuoka Prefectural Government’s motives and goals in implementing activities in Thailand. This study employed qualitative approach and was based on secondary data. The findings demonstrate that Kuznetsov’s (2015) theoretical framework, which systematised existing paradiplomacy knowledge, is a valuable analytical lens. However, it is inadequate to guide a thorough inquiry of this issue. This paper identifies and bridges the gaps in theoretical development and model-building of paradiplomacy. New theories are still required to thoroughly investigate the rising trend of international relations at the local level.
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