Shadow trading is a common activity along state borders. Its omnipresence is puzzling because border checkpoints are highly regulated spaces that are heavily gated and securitized. Most studies attribute such a paradox to ineffective border control and corruption. However, this line of argument overlooks the peculiar nature of border and checkpoint governance. We explore this phenomenon with a case study of the Sino‐Kazakh border where shadow traders negotiate their passage every day. We find that border crossing is a highly organized activity dictated by informal yet specific and meticulous rules that are enforced by various state and non‐state actors. Together, they constitute a kind of gray governance that is thoroughly entwined with the formal regime. It is a kind of technology of rule that enables the state to selectively enforce formal and informal rules so as to accommodate the conflicting goals of border control.

中文翻译：

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边境检查站的灰色治理：规范中哈边境的影子贸易

影子交易是边境地区的常见活动。它的无所不在令人费解，因为边境检查站是受到严格监管的空间，有严格的门禁和安全保障。大多数研究将这种悖论归因于无效的边境管制和腐败。然而，这种论点忽视了边境和检查站治理的特殊性。我们通过中哈边境的案例研究来探讨这一现象，那里的影子商人每天都在谈判通行。我们发现，过境是一项高度组织化的活动，由各种国家和非国家行为者执行的非正式但具体而细致的规则决定。它们共同构成了一种与正式政权紧密相连的灰色治理。它是一种规则技术，使国家能够有选择地执行正式和非正式规则，以适应边界控制目标的冲突。