Xi highlights key national security tasks

President Xi Jinping has urged greater efforts to accelerate the modernization of China's national security system and capacity in order to better safeguard the country's development amid complicated and challenging circumstances.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Tuesday while presiding over the first meeting of the National Security Commission under the 20th CPC Central Committee.

Xi, who is head of the commission, called for correctly grasping major national security issues and urged efforts to safeguard China's new pattern of development with a new security architecture and break new ground on national security work.

It was noted at the meeting that China is currently faced with increasingly complicated and arduous national security issues.

It is necessary to be fully aware of China's advantages and favorable conditions, be prepared to deal with worst-case and extreme scenarios, and be ready to withstand challenging and dangerous scenarios, said a statement released after the meeting.

The commission was established in November 2013 to improve the national security system and strategies to guarantee the country's national security, according to a communique issued after the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee.

Participants in Tuesday's meeting said that the commission has been committed to carrying forward the fighting spirit and developing a holistic approach to national security, has resolutely safeguarded national sovereignty, security and development interests, and has strengthened national security on all fronts.

They underlined the importance of modernizing China's national security system and capacity, saying that emphasis should be placed on promoting the integration of all aspects.

It was pointed out that efforts should be made to create a favorable external security environment for the country and to promote the deep integration of development and security.

Reforms of methods and means used to safeguard and shape national security must be advanced by leveraging technologies, according to the meeting.

The meeting's participants also said China should better respond to national security risks through real-time monitoring and early warning systems, improve security governance on internet data and artificial intelligence, and intensify national security education.

Tuesday's meeting reviewed and adopted documents including a guideline on speeding up the construction of a national security risk monitoring and early warning system.

Li Qiang, Zhao Leji and Cai Qi, who are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the commission, attended the meeting.