Description
Recent border studies increasingly conceptualize borders as dynamic, evolving spaces shaped by infrastructure, culture, and technology, typically dominated by the more powerful side. This paper challenges that one-sided view by proposing a two-way shaping process that recognizes the agency of weaker actors and the diverse ways borders are utilized. Using a mixed-methods approach—combining official archive analysis, field interviews, multitemporal Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) night-time lights and high-resolution satellite imagery—this study identifies development projects and examines legal-illicit socioeconomic activities and land use changes in the borderlands between Shan State in northern Myanmar and Yunnan Province in southwestern China. Findings reveal that, over the past decade, both sides have significantly influenced the mobility and function of the border. The agency of the weaker side, driven by livelihood needs and economic development, often exceeds the control and expectations of the great power, disrupting its frontier development plans. China has engaged in “border shifts” by establishing economic zones to attract Myanmar’s raw materials and labor, while local authorities within Myanmar have created industrial parks drawing Chinese nationals involved in illicit spam activities. This tension between China’s development strategies and the pursuit of economic growth by the powerless side has fostered distinct forms of economic activity, leading to processes of de-territorialization and re-territorialization. This paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of borders as sites of mutual influence, challenging dominant perspectives that focus solely on power asymmetries.
