National security, the "top priority" in General Secretary Xi Jinping's mind

Release Date:

2024-04-15 16:45

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National security, the "top priority" in General Secretary Xi Jinping's mind

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping, based on the overall strategy of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the unprecedented changes in the world in a century, has regarded ensuring national security as a "top priority," creatively proposed the overall national security concept, elevating our Party's understanding of national security to a new height and realm, providing fundamental guidance for solving the difficulties faced by China's national security and advancing national security work in the new era.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the proposal of the overall national security concept, and April 15 is the 9th "National Security Education Day for All." Let us study and understand General Secretary Xi Jinping's important statements on national security together, fully and accurately comprehend and implement the overall national security concept, and effectively enhance the sense of responsibility and mission in safeguarding national security.

How important is national security?

National security is the fundamental prerequisite for the survival and development of the country. Our Party was born at a time of national crisis and has a profound understanding of the importance of national security, always holding firmly to the work of safeguarding national security. Since the 18th National Congress, the various foreseeable and unforeseeable risk factors facing our country have significantly increased. General Secretary Xi Jinping, with a strong sense of urgency and keen insight, has repeatedly made profound explanations on the extreme importance of national security.

"Be mindful of danger in times of peace, remember death in times of survival, and remember chaos in times of order," "Prepare for the unexpected as a constant way of the country," "Do not be troubled by early worries, do not be exhausted by early preparations." The General Secretary has repeatedly quoted ancient sayings to emphasize the need for a sense of urgency, to be vigilant in times of peace, and to always be alert to risks and challenges that may threaten national security.

The General Secretary regards ensuring national security as a "top priority," pointing out that "Our Party must consolidate its ruling position, unite and lead the people to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, and ensuring national security is a top priority," and "To realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and ensure the people's peaceful and happy life, national security is a top priority."

The General Secretary also used terms like "important cornerstone" and "foundation" to illustrate the importance of national security. In the report of the 19th National Congress, he pointed out, "National security is an important cornerstone for stabilizing the country, and safeguarding national security is in the fundamental interests of all ethnic groups in the country." In the report of the 20th National Congress, he stated, "National security is the foundation of national rejuvenation, and social stability is the premise of national strength."

Regarding the relationship between security and development, the General Secretary repeatedly emphasized, "Security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee of security," "Only with national security and social stability can reform and development continue to advance," "Promoting innovative development, coordinated development, green development, open development, and shared development all depend on national security and social stability. Without security and stability, nothing can be discussed."

The "Five Major Elements" of the Overall National Security Concept

On April 15, 2014, at the first meeting of the Central National Security Commission, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the overall national security concept, emphasizing that it should "take people's security as the purpose, political security as the foundation, economic security as the basis, military, cultural, and social security as the guarantee, and promote international security as the reliance." The General Secretary's important statements profoundly clarified the "five major elements" of the overall national security concept.

In October 2019, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee proposed "improving the national security system," requiring "taking people's security as the purpose, political security as the foundation, economic security as the basis, and military, technological, cultural, and social security as the guarantee." The newly added technological security as a guarantee is an important supplement to the means of safeguarding national security.

In October 2022, the General Secretary emphasized in the report of the 20th National Congress, "Taking people's security as the purpose, political security as the foundation, economic security as the basis, military, technological, cultural, and social security as the guarantee, and promoting international security as the reliance." This further enriches and develops the "five major elements" of the overall national security concept.

To implement the overall national security concept, the "Five Coordinations" must be achieved

On April 15, 2014, at the first meeting of the Central National Security Commission, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that implementing the overall national security concept requires attention to the "five pairs of relationships," namely, both external and internal security must be valued; both territorial security and national security must be valued; both traditional and non-traditional security must be valued; both development and security issues must be valued; both self-security and common security must be valued.

In October 2017, the report of the 19th National Congress elevated adherence to the overall national security concept to a new height as a "basic strategy" for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, pointing out that "coordinating development and security, enhancing the sense of urgency, and being vigilant in times of peace is a major principle of our Party's governance," emphasizing the need to "coordinate external and internal security, territorial and national security, traditional and non-traditional security, self-security and common security."

In November 2021, the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee adopted the "Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party's Centennial Struggle," which systematically reviewed the major theoretical innovations and practical achievements in national security in the new era, clearly proposing "coordinating development and security, coordinating openness and security, coordinating traditional and non-traditional security, coordinating self-security and common security, and coordinating safeguarding and shaping national security."

In October 2022, the report of the 20th National Congress explicitly required "coordinating external and internal security, territorial and national security, traditional and non-traditional security, self-security and common security, and coordinating safeguarding and shaping national security."

Coordinating external and internal security, coordinating territorial and national security, coordinating traditional and non-traditional security, coordinating self-security and common security, and coordinating safeguarding and shaping national security — these "five coordinations" embody a universally connected, comprehensive, systematic, and dialectical materialist viewpoint, containing forward-looking thinking, overall planning, and a systematic approach to advancing national security work.

The core essence of the overall national security concept is concentrated in the "Ten Adherences"

On December 11, 2020, the 26th collective study session of the 19th Central Political Bureau was held to effectively carry out national security work. General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward 10 requirements for implementing the overall national security concept, namely the "Ten Adherences": first, adhere to the Party's absolute leadership over national security work; second, adhere to the path of national security with Chinese characteristics; third, adhere to taking people's security as the purpose; fourth, adhere to coordinating development and security; fifth, adhere to placing political security in the primary position; sixth, adhere to coordinating security in all fields; seventh, adhere to prioritizing the prevention and resolution of national security risks; eighth, adhere to promoting international common security; ninth, adhere to advancing the modernization of the national security system and capabilities; tenth, adhere to strengthening the national security cadre team.

The "Ten Adherences" concentrate the core essence of the overall national security concept, reflecting the distinctive features of combining theory and practice, unifying epistemology and methodology, providing fundamental guidance for us to understand, position, and grasp national security from the overall perspective of the Party and the country's work.

The key to the overall national security concept lies in "overall"

Currently, the connotation and extension of national security in our country are richer than at any time in history, the spatial and temporal domains are broader than ever before, and the internal and external factors are more complex than ever. The key to the overall national security concept lies in "overall", highlighting the concept of "big security", covering many fields such as politics, military, territory, economy, finance, culture, society, science and technology, network, food, ecology, resources, nuclear, overseas interests, space, deep sea, polar regions, biology, artificial intelligence, data, and continuously expanding with social development.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly given important instructions on national security work in various fields, such as: "Political security is the foundation of national security," "Without cybersecurity, there is no national security," "Food security is a 'major national concern'," "Ecological and environmental security is an important part of national security," "Biosafety issues have become one of the major survival and development threats faced by the whole world and all humanity," and so on.

The overall national security concept emphasizes the systematic thinking and methods for doing a good job in national security work. The General Secretary emphasized the need to "adhere to scientific coordination, always grasp national security within the overall situation of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, fully mobilize the enthusiasm of all parties, and form a joint force to safeguard national security." Safeguarding national security is an all-round task that must be scientifically coordinated and promoted in a coordinated manner. National security must be integrated into all aspects and the entire process of the Party and the country's work, planned and deployed together with economic and social development, adhere to systematic thinking, and build a big security pattern.

Be vigilant in times of peace; thinking leads to preparedness, and preparedness leads to no harm. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, more than 1.4 billion people, as firm defenders of national security, each tighten the string of security and tighten the "safety valve" in their minds, which will surely drive the great ship of China to forge ahead through the waves of the times and build a solid security guarantee for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the Chinese Dream.

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