President Xi Jinping’s speech on April 15, 2014 at the first meeting of the National Security Council opened a fresh chapter in Chinese national security.
The inauguration of the National Security Council of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee is a logical response to the latest changes in domestic and international conditions, as well as national security and the international security environment. Xi emphasized that setting up the NSC fulfills a pressing need in promoting the modernization of a national governance regime, and in realizing long-term order and stability. The goal is to better adapt to the new situation and tasks of Chinese national security, establish a centralized, unified, highly-efficient and authoritative national security framework, and to strengthen leadership over national security.
Currently, domestic and international conditions are complicated, national rejuvenation has entered a critical stage, and national security is in a sensitive period.
At home, the curtain has just been raised for a new round of reforms, a complicated social transformation may easily trigger various “mass incidents,” hostile forces are taking advantage of mass discontent to instigate unrests, and the cost for preserving societal harmony and stability has greatly increased. Separatist forces such as the “Eastern Turkistan Movement” are waiting for opportunities to conduct sabotage and terrorist attacks. Extreme weather, major natural disasters, and serious epidemics are frequent. Ecological and public security conditions are also grim.
Abroad, competition between major countries is getting fierce, and strategic gaming surrounding geopolitical and economic interests, soft power, and the “global public sphere” (the Web, oceans, space, polar territories) is also intensifying. The peripheral security environment is particularly gloomy. The United States, with a prominent emphasis on “pivoting” to the Asia-Pacific, is taking advantage of China’s maritime disputes with neighboring countries, carrying out a strategy of containing and disturbing China with its neighbors through support for Japan and the Philippines. Japan has become obstinately rightist, trying hard to become a major military and political power. The Philippines is even more emboldened by US support. Meanwhile, with China’s overseas interests expanding at a fast pace, security risks are increasing with each passing day. The missing flight MH 370 is telling evidence of this.
Only with fresh ideas, mechanisms and strategies can China put itself in a favorable position in the face of an unprecedentedly complex national security condition. Xi’s speech on national security presented two points that deserve special attention.
First, there is a proposal for an “overall national security outlook” and a “national security path with Chinese characteristics.” The concept of an “overall national security outlook” transcends and upgrades such existing terms as “macro security” and “comprehensive security.” It means to carve out a “national security path with Chinese characteristics” with people’s security as its goal; political security as its fundamental mission; economic security as its basis; military, cultural and social security as its guarantee, and international security as its major support.
The “outlook” and “path” are crystallization of Chinese understanding of national security in the new era. These are firmly based on the country’s peculiar national conditions. They are the logical products of Chinese confidence in the country’s own approach to development. It is thus problematic to look at Chinese national security mechanisms from a purely western perspective.
Second, there is dialectical thinking and an emphasis on balance. These are obvious in five aspects:
- There is equal emphasis on external security and internal security. At home, we should build a peaceful China; abroad, we must build a harmonious world.
- There is equal emphasis on homeland security and people’s security. We should adhere to the people-first principle, and consolidate popular support for and participation in national security work.
- There is equal emphasis on traditional security and non-traditional security. We should build a “national security network” that incorporates political security, homeland security, economic security, cultural security, societal security, scientific and technological security, information security, ecological security, resource security, and nuclear security. Mapping out such 11 areas in the realm of national security is conducive not only to identifying the sources of security threats, but also to making corresponding responses.
- There should be equal emphasis on development and security. Development is the basis of security; security is a precondition for development. A rich country can afford a strong military; a strong military can in turn safeguard the country.
- There should be equal emphasis on self security and common security. We should build a community of common destiny and promote mutual benefits and common security.
Xi’s idea of national security entails strenuous endeavors covering two aspects. At the strategic level, the country should race against time to work out its overall and regional strategies, carry out scientific studies on its national security environment, and come up with a well-thought-out priority list that names its security challenges. At the level of mechanisms, the country needs to conduct integration and innovation. Under the NSC, the country should unify its command system, smooth out its overall coordination, and enhance the synergy of related authorities, including those of intelligence work.
Chen Xiangyang is a research fellow and Deputy Director of the Institute of World Politics, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
