Chinese leader Xi Jinping has called on his senior national security officials to think about “worst-case scenarios” and prepare for “tough times”. The ruling Communist Party is increasing its efforts to deal with perceived internal and external threats, CNN reports.
Xi’s stern instructions come at a time when his country faces a myriad of challenges, from a floundering economy to a hostile international environment.
“The complexity and difficulty of the national security issues we now face has increased significantly,” the Chinese president said at a meeting of the National Security Commission on Tuesday. “We need to prepare for the big tests of high winds and rough waves, and even dangerous, stormy seas,” he added.
According to Xi, China should accelerate the modernization of its national security system and capabilities, with a focus on greater effectiveness in “real combat and day-to-day use”.
Since taking power a decade ago, Xi has made national security a major priority that permeates all aspects of Chinese governance, experts say.
“Everything in Xi’s China is about national security and there is an increasing focus on better coordination of security and (economic) development, with the security side appearing to win out over the economic side,” says China expert Bill Bishop.
From the deep sea to space
Xi has systematically extended the concept of national security to everything related to politics, economics, defense, culture and ecology, even cyberspace. It extends from the deep sea and the polar regions to space. It also includes big data and artificial intelligence.
The perception that security has replaced economic growth as Beijing’s top priority has been compounded by several recent raids on foreign firms, including US consulting firm Bain & Company and Mintz Group.
The raids have terrified international companies at a time when the Chinese government is just trying to attract foreign investment to revive its faltering economy after the corona pandemic.
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