ABSTRACT
The stakes of the traditional Sino-US security relationship are high, and observers and policy practitioners alike are looking for pathways to diffuse tensions and build confidence between the two powers. One avenue gaining increasing rhetorical traction to this end concerns the possibility of cooperation on 'Non-Traditional' Security (NTS) issues. China faces daunting challenges throughout the issue areas under the NTS umbrella, many of which relate to the interface between social and environmental trends. The post-Cold War broadening of Western-centric security concepts brought a wide range of contributions from both academia and traditional security bodies. On balance, friction between the United States (US) and China on NTS issues is inconsistent with hopes that the two powers can use NTS as a pathway towards solving strategic problems. In prevailing US thinking, a host of Chinese actions and growth characteristics exemplify the sort of emergent challenges that define the NTS sector.
