Junyi Qian

Junyi Qian

Oct. 30, 2026

Ecological border protection, Southwest borderlands, Governance transformation, Collaborative governance

This study takes China’s southwest border region as its research object, focusing on the transformation of governance models under the strategic framework of "Ecological Border Protection" (Eco-Border Protection). As a national ecological security barrier, a demonstration zone for ethnic unity, and a hub connecting South and Southeast Asia, the southwest borderlands are undergoing a paradigm shift from a "stability-oriented border governance" model to an "ecology-oriented" one. By analyzing the current state of ecological security, governance challenges, and representative case studies, this paper identifies three major transformation pathways: institutional innovation, technological empowerment, and multi-stakeholder collaborative governance. It further proposes targeted policy recommendations, including the establishment of cross-border ecological compensation mechanisms, the development of value realization mechanisms for ecological products, and the deepening of the theoretical framework of Eco-Border Protection. These proposals aim to provide theoretical support and practical references for advancing the coordinated development of security, development, and ecology in border regions.

© 2026, the Authors. Published by ISCCAC

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license