Catchy but Not New: "Indivisible Security" in the Chinese Foreign Policy Lexicon

Abstract: "Indivisible security" is included as one principle of China's Global Security Initiative, which was outlined in April 2022. Because, in English, the term is generally associated with Russian framing of its pursuit of security, of interest to this article is whether China is mimicking the Russian phrase in its own usage. Searching for the Chinese equivalent of "indivisible security" (anquan bukefenge) in databases, the authors find that the specific use has a certain tradition in China. The findings should be helpful in future dialogues and debates over Chinese rhetorical framings of security, and in appraising the country's self-rationalisation of specific foreign policy actions.