本文将美国边界安全置于地缘政治视角之下进行研究,通过对美国边界的空间形态与特征进行分析,总结美国边界安全在当前空间状态下存在的有利和不利因素。在全球反恐背景下,以"9·11"事件作为转折点,对比恐怖主义袭击前后20年美国政府在边界安全政策问题上的认知和态度变化,在对美国边界安全政策进行梳理后,阐述在新的边界安全环境下,美国所采取的保障陆海空边界安全的一系列强有力措施。在此基础上提出了美国经验对中国边界安全的五点启示,以期对中国的国家安全政策和实践提供借鉴。

Viewing space as the most important factor in the understanding of international relations, geopolitics has become an important basis for sovereign states' defense, diplomatic and security policy making. This paper will study U.S. border security from a geopolitical perspective. First, it will analyze the spatial dimensions of U.S. border from both perspectives of international law and U.S. policy practice. In U.S. border security protection practice, international ports of entry and exit are placed in equal positions with U.S. land, maritime and air border. Second, based on the spatial features of U.S. border, this paper will analyze U.S. advantages and disadvantages in border security protection. The Atlantic and Pacific Ocean provide the U.S. homeland with natural barrier; the two land neighbors of Canada and Mexico do not have serious disputes with the U.S.. These are the U.S. advantages. But the vast areas of border territory and the wide geographic distribution of large numbers of international ports of entry and exit provide external threats with potential opportunities of entering the U.S. homeland. The huge economic gap between the U.S. and Mexico is a major cause of illegal cross-boundary activities. These are the U.S. disadvantages. Third, this paper will analyze the change of U.S. border security policy and the strengthening of specific security measures. The September 11th terrorist attack changes both the U.S. geopolitical environment and the U.S. perception of border security. After this attack, to defend the U.S. homeland from terrorist attacks has become the primary goal of U.S. security strategy. In order to enhance border security, to keep terrorism and other security threats away from the U.S. homeland and at the same to facilitate the secure flow of legitimate people and cargo, the U.S. government takes a full range of effective measures including the implementation of US-VISIT Program, the creating of smart border through partnership with Canada and Mexico, the improvement of security inspection for in-bound air passengers and the implementation of Container Security Initiative.