ABSTRACT
The defining characteristic of human security is its individual-centred approach: its focus on critical and pervasive threats to the preservation of human lives.1 In an increasingly globalised world, the proliferation of non-traditional security threats such as widespread poverty, hunger, disease and environmental degradation have exceeded the capacity of conventional state-centred approaches to protect individuals and their communities. Additionally, the interests of government do not always correspond with those of the people; far more people have died at the hands of their own governments, either through mass murder or genocide, than from civil wars or wars with other countries.2 By using people as the referent, human security is better able to address threats which cross national borders and contradict state interests. However, approaching Sino-Myanmar relations from a human security perspective becomes problematic because it is deeply antithetical to Chinese foreign policy. Rooted in the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has remained committed to the principles of non-intervention and non-interference in the domestic affairs of other states. Consequently, China has been able to deflect international criticism – and intervention – targeted at its domestic human rights abuses. As China’s economy continues to expand rapidly, this approach also enables the government to foster closer relations with authoritarian regimes otherwise condemned by the West. China’s support for authoritarian governments, particularly those deemed pariah states, such as Iran, Myanmar and Sudan, and the influence this has had on the behaviour of other states, has raised concerns regarding China’s rise. Will China seek to be a status quo or revisionist power? Does its foreign policy reflect a peaceful rise or a threat to international peace and stability? Echoed throughout the region, China’s conservative adherence to the inviolable principle of state sovereignty has called into question the relevance of human security. China’s ‘business is business’ motto and ‘no strings attached’ investment strategy have gained widespread popularity among developing nations. Many of these countries view China’s approach as a favourable alternative to the conditional loans and structural adjustment programs (SAPs) imposed by the World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF ). Conversely, many Western powers have criticised China for undermining efforts to promote human rights and good governance.
