Firmly Establish and Practice the Overall National Security Concept And write a new chapter in national security in the new era
Chen Wenqing
On April 15, 2014, At the first plenary session of the Central National Security Commission, General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively put forward the overall national security concept, clearly adhering to the people's security as the purpose, taking political security as the foundation, taking economic security as the foundation, taking military, cultural and social security as the guarantee, and relying on promoting international security, safeguarding national security in all fields, building a national security system, and taking the road of national security with Chinese characteristics. The Nineteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China incorporated adhering to the overall concept of national security into the basic strategy of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and wrote it into the Party Constitution, reflecting the common will of the whole Party and the people of the whole country. The overall concept of national security is the first major strategic thinking in the history of our party to be established as the guiding ideology of national security work, an important part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and a fundamental observance and action guide for national security work in the new era.
On April 15, 2022, on the occasion of the 8th anniversary of General Secretary Xi Jinping's proposal of the overall national security concept, according to the deployment of the CPC Central Committee, the "Outline for the Study of the Overall National Security Concept" (hereinafter referred to as the "Outline"),which was organized and compiled by the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Office of the Central National Security Commission, was published and distributed. This is a major event in the party's ideological and theoretical construction, and it provides authoritative auxiliary reading materials for studying and implementing the overall concept of national security, which is just in time and just in line with the needs. We should take this as an opportunity to set off an upsurge of studying, publicizing, and implementing the overall concept of national security among the broad masses of party members and cadres, gather up a powerful force to overcome difficulties and forge ahead, and build a solid security barrier for comprehensively building a modern socialist country.
I. Profoundly comprehend the great significance and contribution of the overall national security concept
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "This is an era that needs theory and must be able to produce theory, and this is an era that requires ideas and must be able to produce ideas." "Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, the national security situation on the mainland has undergone profound and complex changes, and the overall concept of national security has come into being, which has pointed out the way forward for safeguarding and shaping national security with Chinese characteristics, and contributed Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to building a world of lasting peace and universal security."
The overall national security concept anchors the historical orientation of national security in the new era. Since the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly pointed out from the height and vision of the general trend of human development, the general pattern of world change, and the great history of China's development that the world has entered a period of accelerated evolution and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered a critical period. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that "realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, ensuring that the people live and work in peace and contentment, and national security is the top priority" and "overall development and security, enhancing the sense of distress, and thinking of danger in times of peace is a major principle of our party's governance of the country", which provides us with fundamental guidance for understanding national security, positioning national security, and grasping national security from the overall situation of the work of the party and the country. This series of major strategic judgments points out the new historical orientation of national security in the new era, and is the basic coordinate and basis for us to accurately identify changes, respond scientifically, and take the initiative to seek changes on the new journey.
The picture shows the theme poster of the National Security Education Day in 2022.
The overall national security concept clearly defines the fundamental political guarantee for national security in the new era. Our party was born at a time when the country was in internal and external troubles and the nation was in crisis, and it had an unforgettable understanding of the importance of national security and always firmly grasped the work of safeguarding national security. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that adhering to the party's absolute leadership over national security work is the fundamental political principle of national security work in the new era and the fundamental guarantee for doing a good job in national security work. The Third Plenary Session of the Eighteenth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to establish the Central National Security Commission, with the aim of better adapting to the new situation and new tasks facing the mainland's national security, establishing a centralized, unified, efficient and authoritative national security system, and strengthening leadership over national security work. Under the personal planning, personal deployment and personal promotion of General Secretary Xi Jinping, since its establishment 8 years ago, the Central National Security Commission has continuously strengthened the top-level design around improving the national security leadership system, improved the national security rule of law system, strategic system and policy system, established a coordination mechanism and emergency management mechanism for national security work, promoted party committees (party groups) at all levels to implement the national security responsibility system, formed a strong joint force of "one game of chess for the whole country", and created a new situation in national security in the new era.
The overall national security concept has opened up a way forward for national security in the new era. Direction determines the future, and the road determines destiny. The path of national security with Chinese characteristics is a concrete embodiment of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics in national security. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized adhering to the path of national security with Chinese characteristics. On November 18, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly pointed out when presiding over the review of the National Security Strategy (2021-2025) that to take the road of national security with Chinese characteristics, it is necessary to adhere to the party's absolute leadership, improve the centralized, unified, efficient and authoritative national security work leadership system, and realize the unity of people's security, political security and national interests; persist in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, maintain stability and order in borders, borders, and peripheral areas; and adhere to safe development. Promote high-quality development and high-level security dynamic balance; adhere to the overall war, coordinate traditional security and non-traditional security; adhere to the path of peaceful development, and promote the coordination of their own security and common security. This major thesis is a systematic and original theoretical summary of the path of national security with Chinese characteristics, clarifies the important characteristics of the national security path with Chinese characteristics, and sets up a navigation marker to guide the direction of national security in the new era.
The overall national security concept highlights the great power responsibility of national security in the new era. At present, the governance deficit, trust deficit, development deficit and peace deficit facing human society are increasing unabated, traditional security and non-traditional security issues are complexly intertwined, the linkage, transnational nature and diversity of security issues are more prominent, and the task of building a world of lasting peace and universal security is arduous and long.1 days. The overall national security concept holds high the banner of building a community with a shared future for mankind, promotes the construction of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, resolutely opposes hegemonism and power politics, and provides new ideas and models for leading inter-state relations; establishes a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable global security concept, adheres to the peaceful way to solve problems and disputes, and works with all countries to cope with non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, terrorism, cyber security, public health, and refugees. It has played a constructive role in promoting the resolution of regional hotspots and global security issues; adhering to consultation, co-construction and sharing, promoting the rapid growth of the "Belt and Road" into an open and inclusive platform for international cooperation and a global public good generally welcomed by all parties, providing more cooperation opportunities for promoting the common development of the world and promoting sustainable security with sustainable development. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which broke out since February this year, has once again proved that security is indivisible, that the realization of long-term peace and stability requires taking into account the legitimate security concerns of all parties, and that engaging in bloc confrontation and seeking absolute security will only bring about insecurity consequences.
The overall national security concept guides national security to make historic achievements in the new era. Since the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, national security has been comprehensively strengthened, and historic changes from dispersion to concentration, slowness to efficiency, and passive to active have been realized. The national security system has basically taken shape, the national security capability has been significantly improved, the people's defense line has been further consolidated, and the national security awareness of the whole people has been significantly enhanced. Firmly safeguard the security of the regime, the security of the system, and the security of ideology, resist and counter the extreme suppression and containment of the outside world, promote the situation in Hong Kong to achieve a major turning point from chaos to governance, carry out in-depth struggles related to Taiwan, Xinjiang, Tibet, and the sea, steadily promote the rejuvenation of the border and enrich the people, stabilize the border and consolidate the border, properly handle peripheral security risks, and achieve fruitful results in the anti-infiltration and anti-terrorism and anti-separatist struggle. Security development has run through the entire process of national development in all fields, major progress has been made in preventing and controlling economic and financial risks, important progress has been made in tackling key core technologies, the special struggle against organized crime and evil has been victorious, historical, turning points and overall changes have taken place in ecological environmental protection, major natural disasters have been properly responded to, epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development have been coordinated, and security capabilities in new fields such as networks, data, artificial intelligence, biology, space, deep sea, and polar regions have been continuously enhanced, effectively responding to the challenges of overseas interest risks. National sovereignty, security and development interests have been comprehensively safeguarded, the overall social situation has maintained long-term stability, and the mainland has become one of the most secure countries in the world.
In the history of our party and country, the more the country and the nation are at a critical juncture, the more it is necessary to give play to the leading role of ideology and theory. As one of the basic strategies for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the overall concept of national security has great theoretical, historical, epochal and practical significance. The Outline comprehensively reflects the original contribution of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to national security, systematically explains the basic spirit, basic content, basic methods and basic requirements of the overall national security concept, and is of great significance for firmly establishing the guiding position of the overall national security concept in national security work, playing a role in unifying thinking and consolidating consensus in understanding, enhancing self-confidence in action, and encouraging hard work. We must enhance our consciousness and firmness in studying the "Outline," publicizing the "Outline," and interpreting the "Outline," and earnestly transform the study and comprehension of the "Outline" into an internal driving force for practicing the overall concept of national security.
Second, comprehensively study and grasp the scientific theoretical system of the overall national security concept
General Secretary Xi Jinping is the founder of the overall national security concept. In leading the whole party and the people of all nationalities throughout the country to carry out the great struggle with many new historical characteristics, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with the leadership sentiment of "I will live up to the people without myself", used Marxist positions and viewpoints and methods, absorbed the essence of China's excellent traditional strategic culture, inherited and developed the CPC's struggle experience and collective wisdom in defending national sovereignty, security and development interests, put forward a series of new ideas, new ideas and new strategies of original significance, and played a decisive role in creating and developing the overall national security concept. A decisive contribution was made.
The picture shows some important laws and regulations related to national security formulated and promulgated since the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The promulgation and implementation of these laws and regulations has further improved the rule of law system for national security, and played a role in the rule of law in consolidating the fundamentals, stabilizing expectations, and benefiting the long term.
From the strategic perspective of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, the overall concept of national security has systematically answered the question of how to solve the common security problems faced by socialism with Chinese characteristics in the process of developing a new era, and at the same time properly handle the special security problems faced by the critical stage of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, which is a systematic and complete scientific theoretical system, with rich connotations, broad and profound, involving various aspects such as governing the party and the country and the army. This marks that our party's understanding of the basic laws of national security has reached a new height.
The key to the overall national security concept is "overall." Emphasizing the concept of great security, it covers many fields such as politics, military, land, economy, finance, culture, society, science and technology, network, food, ecology, resources, nuclear, overseas interests, space, deep sea, polar, biology, artificial intelligence, data, etc., and will continue to dynamically adjust with the development of society. Emphasize the systematic thinking and methods of doing a good job in national security work, strengthen scientific overall planning, and achieve overall development and security, overall opening up and security, overall planning of traditional and non-traditional security, overall planning of self-security and common security, overall planning of safeguarding national security and shaping national security, and strive to solve the problem of imbalance and inadequacy of national security work. Stressing that national security must run through all aspects and links of the overall work of the party and the state, it is by no means the responsibility of a certain field or a single department, and security and development must be placed in the same important position, synchronous decision-making and deployment, and equally active implementation. Emphasize the fight of an overall war, form a powerful joint force that brings together all aspects and levels of the party, government, military, and civilian academic fronts, and respond to major national security risks and challenges throughout the whole society, the whole government, the whole system, and all means.
The core essence of the overall national security concept is concentrated in the "ten persistences" put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping in his important speech when presiding over the 26th collective study of the 19th Politburo of the CENTRAL Committee. That is, to adhere to the party's absolute leadership over national security work, adhere to the path of national security with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the purpose of people's security, adhere to the overall development and security, persist in putting political security in the primary position, persist in making overall plans to promote security in all fields, persist in putting the prevention and resolution of national security risks in a prominent position, persist in promoting international common security, persist in promoting the modernization of the national security system and capabilities, and persist in strengthening the construction of the contingent of national security cadres.
The "Outline" closely follows the key of "overall", plans the layout on the basis of "ten adherences", comprehensively and systematically sorts out a series of important expositions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on national security, and comprehensively unfolds from various fields such as politics, economy, culture, society, ecology, military, science and technology, fully demonstrating the scientific system and rich connotation of the overall national security concept. The "Outline" adheres to the original principles and original meanings of General Secretary Xi Jinping's original work, presents General Secretary Xi Jinping's major theoretical views and major strategic deployments in its original taste, grasps the "classics" and "golden sentences", and highlights General Secretary Xi Jinping's profound political wisdom, superb art of struggle, outstanding leadership skills, and plain discourse style.
Third, deeply understand the theoretical character of the overall national security concept
The overall concept of national security adheres to the essence of Marxist national security theory, adheres to the belief of seeking security for the people, carries the mission of escorting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, is full of wise thinking about the future and destiny of mankind, and shows the political character, value pursuit and spiritual style of Chinese communists in the new era with Comrade Xi Jinping as the main representative.
A firm people's position. The broadest and deepest foundation of national security is the people. The overall national security concept takes the people's stand as the fundamental stand, adheres to the supremacy of the people and the supremacy of life, emphasizes that national security is for the people and relies on the people, and profoundly answers the major question of who national security is for and on whom to rely. The "Outline" closely focuses on ensuring the safety of people's lives and solving the most direct and realistic security issues that the people are most concerned about, systematically sorts out the concept and practice of people's security in the new era, and clearly reflects the deep and sincere people's feelings of General Secretary Xi Jinping.
Tenacious spirit of struggle. Dare to struggle and dare to win is an invincible and powerful spiritual force for the party and the people. A peaceful environment is the result of struggle, not compromise. The overall concept of national security has always focused on realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, grasping the historical characteristics of the new great struggle, emphasizing the courage to struggle, being good at struggle, enhancing the ability to struggle, and resolving to overcome all foreseeable and unforeseeable risks and challenges. The "Outline" systematically sorts out the direction, principles and strategies of the national security struggle in the new era, and clearly reflects General Secretary Xi Jinping's strong historical responsibility and outstanding art of struggle.
A deep sense of distress. Always thinking of the future and thinking of danger in times of peace are the distinctive characteristics of Chinese Communists. The overall national security concept directly faces risks and challenges, emphasizes basing on the most difficult and complex situations, preparing for the worst, striving for the best results, and having the strategic courage to shine the sword and make a move at the critical moment. The "Outline" systematically sorts out the principles, concepts and methods for preventing and resolving risks in the new era, and clearly reflects General Secretary Xi Jinping's sober bottom-line thinking and historical initiative.
Strategic thinking excellence. The strategic issue is a fundamental issue of a political party and a country, and if the strategic judgment is accurate, the strategic planning is scientific, and the initiative is won strategically, there will be great hope for the cause of the party and the people. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has made a series of major strategic decisions and deployments related to the future and destiny of the party and the country, such as the decision to establish the Central National Security Commission, lead and promote the reform of national defense and the army, formulate and implement the Hong Kong National Security Law, and build a new security pattern. The overall national security concept emphasizes that no matter how the international situation changes, it is necessary to maintain strategic determination, strategic confidence, and strategic patience, and combine strategic firmness with tactical flexibility. The Outline systematically sorts out the thinking and practice of national security strategy in the new era, reflects the successful experience and practice of achieving strategic breakthroughs and driving the overall work by solving prominent problems, and clearly reflects the strategic vision of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the strategic wisdom of overseeing the overall situation.
The spirit of innovation. Adhering to innovation-driven is the fundamental strategy to promote the realization of a high level of security. At present, the national security situation and the form of national security struggle have undergone profound changes, and if we do not recognize change, do not respond, and do not seek change, we may fall into strategic passivity and miss strategic opportunities. The overall national security concept profoundly summarizes the systematic and revolutionary innovative practice of national security since the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and puts forward major innovative concepts such as overall development and security, maintenance and shaping of national security, and promoting the modernization of the national security system and capabilities. The "Outline" systematically sorts out the innovative concepts and practices of national security in the new era, and clearly reflects General Secretary Xi Jinping's extraordinary theoretical courage and pioneering spirit of daring to be the first in the world.
On 15 April 2021, Hong Kong held a national security education day for all. This is the sixth national security education day for the whole people, and it is also the first time since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law that the National Security Commission of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has hosted a national security education activity, with the theme of "National Security, Protecting Our Homeland - Improving the Election System and Implementing patriots Governing Hong Kong", aiming to enhance the national security awareness of the whole Hong Kong citizens, create a strong atmosphere for safeguarding national security, and enhance the ability to prevent and resist security risks. The picture shows the scene of the event. Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Xiaochu /photo
A broad vision of the world. "The tide of the world is mighty, and those who go along with it prosper, and those who go against it perish." Correctly handling the relationship between China and the world is a major issue that has a bearing on the success or failure of the party's cause. The overall national security concept has a profound insight into the development trend of the world today and the development trend of the times, emphasizing that China has unswervingly followed the path of peaceful development, adhered to the unity of safeguarding its own security and common security, and strived to achieve its own goals and strive to make greater contributions to the world. The overall national security concept fully elucidates the value concept, work ideas and mechanism paths of China's national security governance, and provides an important reference for those countries that want to maintain social security and stability and maintain their independence. The "Outline" systematically sorts out China's path of peaceful development in the new era, and clearly reflects General Secretary Xi Jinping's grand world mind and firm responsibility as the leader of a big party and a big country.
Fourth, completely, accurately, and comprehensively study and implement the overall national security concept
In contemporary China, adhering to and developing the overall national security concept means truly upholding and developing Marxist national security theory and truly upholding and expanding the path of national security with Chinese characteristics. The "Outline" is the latest textbook to arm the whole party with the major original theory of the overall national security concept, promote work, and guide the practice of national security in the new era. The Central Propaganda Department and the Central State Security Office issued a circular calling on party committees (party groups) at all levels to incorporate the "Outline" into their study plans, comprehensively and systematically study, follow up on the study in a timely manner, think deeply about the study, and study in connection with reality, and earnestly transform the study results into vivid practice of resolutely safeguarding state sovereignty, security, and development interests.
First, unswervingly strengthen theoretical armament. In connection with the implementation of the spirit of the Sixth Plenary Session of the Nineteenth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, we should profoundly understand the decisive significance of the "two establishments", enhance the "four consciousnesses", strengthen the "four self-confidences", achieve the "two safeguards", deeply understand the great significance, core essence, spiritual essence, rich connotation and practical requirements of the overall national security concept, and maintain a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core in ideological and political actions. It is necessary to highlight the "key minority", carry out vivid and profound education and training, so that leading cadres at all levels can more firmly promote the deep integration of development and security, and more consciously use the overall national security concept to guide and control the complex national security situation and cope with risks and challenges. It is necessary to persist in combining centralized propaganda and education with regular propaganda and education, innovate contents, methods, and carriers, guide the broad masses of the people to conscientiously study and implement the overall concept of national security, enhance the national security awareness of the whole people, and build a strong great wall of steel for safeguarding national security.
The second is to unswervingly prevent and resolve national security risks. It is necessary to give prominence to preventing and defusing various risks affecting the process of mainland modernization, and make ideological and work preparations for coping with changes in the external environment for a long time. It is necessary to improve the risk prevention and control system and mechanism, strengthen overall planning and coordination, consolidate the responsibilities of all parties, do a good job in ensuring elements, and continuously improve the ability to cope with risks, meet challenges, and turn dangers into disasters. It is necessary to estimate the difficulties more fully, think about the risks more deeply, pay attention to plugging loopholes, strengths and weaknesses, and strive to prevent all kinds of risks and challenges from being linked internally and externally, accumulating and superimposing, so as to create a safe and stable environment for the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Party.
The third is to unswervingly implement the strategic deployment of the Party Central Committee. The Fifth Plenary Session of the Nineteenth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for the first time incorporated overall development and security into the guiding ideology of the mainland's economic and social development during the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan" period, and made strategic arrangements in a special chapter. Following the promulgation of the Provisions on the National Security Responsibility System of Party Committees (Party Groups) in 2018, in 2021 the Party Central Committee issued the Regulations on the Leadership of the Communist Party of China in National Security Work, which systematically answered major questions such as "who will lead", "what to lead", and "how to lead" in national security work, and further strengthened the party's absolute leadership over national security work from a system. At the end of 2021, the National Security Strategy (2021-2025) was promulgated, making strategic arrangements for safeguarding national security under the new situation. Party committees (party groups) at all levels should unify their thinking and actions with the series of important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, with the major policies and decision-making arrangements of the Party Central Committee on national security, focus on major deployments, important tasks, and key tasks, adhere to the responsibility of defending the territory, be responsible for guarding the soil, and fulfill the responsibility of guarding the soil, grasp the implementation at the first level and at each level, and ensure that the spirit of the Party Central Committee is implemented and sees practical results.
The fourth is to unswervingly promote the modernization of the national security system and capabilities. It is necessary to improve the centralized, unified, efficient and authoritative national security leadership system, run the party's leadership through the entire process of national security work in all aspects, and ensure that national security work is firmly in the hands of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. It is necessary to comprehensively enhance national security capabilities, focus on the strategic needs of maintaining and shaping national security, pay more attention to coordination and efficiency, pay more attention to rule of law thinking, pay more attention to scientific and technological empowerment, pay more attention to grass-roots foundations, and focus on making up for shortcomings and weaknesses with the spirit of nails. It is necessary to further strengthen the guarantee of the rule of law in national security, pay close attention to filling in the blanks, strengthening the weak points, thoroughly implement the laws and regulations related to national security under the guidance of the "National Security Law", and better play the role of the rule of law in consolidating the fundamentals, stabilizing expectations, and benefiting the long term. It is necessary to build, strengthen, and complete the national security system organs and personnel of the national party committees, persist in taking political construction as the command, and forge an indestructible contingent of national security cadres under the leadership of the party.
The road ahead will never be smooth sailing, and there will even be unimaginable waves. On the new journey, we must unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, never forget the original intention, keep firmly in mind the mission, work hard, do not slacken off, open roads in every mountain and build bridges in the face of water, have the courage to overcome all risks and challenges, unswervingly take the road of national security with Chinese characteristics, constantly open up a new situation in national security work in the new era, and make unremitting efforts to win new victories in the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country and realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!