China’s Non-Traditional Security Issues: Levels and Responses

　　Abstract: Because of ongoing conceptual disagreements, the types of issues considered to be non-traditional security continue to increase. This essay argues that non-traditional security studies in China should take China’s national interests as its starting point, and based on the Chinese context, non-traditional security studies should be divided into three levels: (1) Non-traditional security issues that are intimately linked with traditional security problems, and which involve key interests such as national sovereignty and territorial integrity; (2) Issues involving domestic security, which represent an important national interest; and (3) Issues involving the “security of the individual.” Different strategies and policies should be prescribed for each of these three levels of non-traditional security issues. By dividing China’s non-traditional security issues into these different levels, analysts can avoid an over optimistic or an overreaction to non-traditional security threats. This can also help to clarify the importance of different dimensions of non-traditional security problems from the perspective of policy makers, and help them to better appropriate and apply resources, enhancing China’s ability to respond to such challenges.

　　Author: Ren Na is an assistant professor in the Institute of Asia Pacific Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences