context: Domestic and geopolitical tensions have led Beijing to strengthen its focus on national security. Beijing has pushed school education on national security. At the top level, the 5th Plenum prioritised national security as one of the guiding principles of the nation’s 14th 5-year plan. Subsequently, Yang Jiechi 杨洁篪 outlined national security work in foreign affairs for the next five years last month.
President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the Politburo study session on national security at which Yuan Peng 袁鹏 China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations president made the main presentation. In his speech, Xi stressed that national security work should align with economic and social development and should uphold a ‘holistic view’, outlining ten priorities, namely
- maintaining the Party's absolute leadership over national security
- integrating people’s security, political security, economic security and national interests
- upholding people-centred approaches
- coordinating national security and development
- prioritising political security
- stressing national security in all fields, encompassing both traditional and non-traditional security
- focusing on solving and preventing security risks
- promoting international collaboration and global governance in security issues
- boosting modernisation and innovation of the national security system
- improving the cultivation and training of cadres