The Growth of Cross-Border Regions Toward “Two Countries, One Park”: A Case Study of the Mohan–Boten Cross-Border Cooperation Zone

Cross-border regions have been the frontier areas of regional and subregional cooperation, the development of which involves the interaction of multiple scales and various agents. Existing studies focus mainly on cross-border economic cooperation but pay less attention to issues such as urban construction and community development, which may lead to the neglect of the interests of local communities in the development of cross-border regions. Based on a case study of the Mohan–Boten Cross-border Cooperation Zone (CCZ), this study argues for the integrated development toward “Two Countries, One Park” through the functional integration of urban planning, industrial investment, public services, and community development. The study finds that the success of the “Two Countries, One Park” pattern relies on the coordination of multi-scalar governance and multi-agent cooperation, whereas the “scale paradox” caused by the asymmetric distribution of power and responsibility among different governance scales and the relevant agents is a major hindrance to functional integration and cross-border cooperation. Addressing the “scale paradox” is, therefore, crucial for successful cross-border development.