Sabotaging Paradiplomacy: A Typological Analysis of Counter-Paradiplomacy

While Paradiplomacy has received substantial scholarly attention in recent decades, less attention has been given to its antithetical dynamic: counter-paradiplomacy (CPD). This paper fills this gap by providing a comprehensive scrutiny of states’ reactive policies against subnational diplomatic engagement. We use a typological analysis to differentiate between various forms of CPD, which is impacted by both the nature of the actors involved and the power asymmetries between them. Each typology is illustrated with contemporary cases that highlight these different forms of frictional interactions between states and subnational actors.