Challenges Confronting China's Financial Security from the Perspective of a Holistic Approach to National Security

Finance is the lifeblood of a modern economy.The 2008 international financial crisis,which changed the course of history,has highlighted the decisive role of financial security in the sustainable development of the contemporary world—all sovereign states included.Implementing the national rejuvenation strategy within a wider context of the once-in-a-century changes taking place in the world,the Communist Party of China(CPC)has constantly deepened its understanding of financial security,making it an important component of a holistic approach to national security and Xi Jinping's economic thought.In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine crisis,the US and Europe launched a"financial nuclear strike"against Russia.The comprehensive war centered on financial sanctions they have waged in response to Russia's military operations not only represents a shift in the form of future warfare,but also offers a preview of the major-country strategic competition in the future,which will inevitably grow in scope and intensity.This thesis intends to discuss the current changes in and challenges to China's financial security from the perspective of a holistic approach to national security and provide opinions based on domestic and international changes.

Strategic Thinking on the Russia-Ukraine Crisis from the Perspective of a Holistic Approach to National Security

Xi Jinping,General Secretary of the Communist Party of China(CPC)Central Committee,has creatively put forward a holistic approach to national security,making a major breakthrough beyond the traditional national security concepts and providing the world with a new one characterized by universality and inclusivity.This thesis uses a holistic approach to national security to analyze the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis:its underlying causes,latest developments,tactics deployed,and potential implications.The outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine crisis highlights the antagonism between different national security paths of the US,Russia,and Ukraine.Moreover,the crisis has proven the correctness of the path of national security with Chinese characteristics and the importance of pursuing peaceful development.The process of the Russia-Ukraine crisis has foregrounded the necessity and scientificity of balancing development and security-that is,a higher level of national security provides a guarantee and support for high-quality development,which in turn improves its competence and efficiency.Typified by intertwined traditional and non-traditional security issues,the form of the RussiaUkraine crisis has indicated that,to safeguard national security,China must coordinate a full spectrum of security issues,be prepared for worst-case scenarios,and remain keenly alert to potential dangers.Efforts must be made to strengthen a well-coordinated,interconnected,and multi-pronged approach.The consequences of the Russia-Ukraine crisis shed light on the complexity of the international security environment wheredisorder prevails,and underscore the importance of paying equal attention to our security and that shared by the world.China must continue to encourage all other countries to pursue peaceful development,actively respond to the legitimate security concerns of the international community,and promote a new type of international security framework that features mutually beneficial cooperation under the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Thoroughly Study and Implement a Holistic Approach to National Security to Safeguard Chinese Modernization

2024 marks the tenth anniversary of a holistic approach to national security. As an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, a holistic approach to national security provides fundamental guidance for China's national security work in the new era and is, therefore, of great theoretical and practical significance. This approach has several distinct features: it ref lects the trends of our times, is deeply rooted in China's national culture, and follows a people-centered, struggle-oriented, systematic, st rategic, in novative, and practice-based approach. By upholding and developing a holistic approach to national security, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC) has comprehensively strengthened the Party's absolute leadership over national security, reshaped the systems and mechanisms for national security across the board, and made brilliant achievements in national security work in the new era. Given the context of the momentous changes unseen in a century that shape today's world, the national security situation facing China is increasingly complex and grim, characterized by many challenges and new characteristics. On the new journey toward rejuvenating the nation and building China into a strong country, we should fully implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, firmly pursue a holistic approach to national security, and accelerate the modernization of China's national security system and capacity to ensure steady and sustained progress in Chinese modernization.

Centennial Evolution of the CPC’s National Security Thought

Born at a time of domestic turmoil and foreign aggression,the Communist Party of China(CPC)has an ingrained understanding of and has always attached great importance to national security.Undergoing different stages of national development from"standing up"to"growing rich"and to"becoming strong,"the CPC has been constantly adjusting its visions and strategies on national security in light of changes in the international situation.Such visions and strategies will surely continue to be enriched and improved in the great endeavors of building socialism with Chinese characteristics.With the proposal of the"ten upholds,"the theoretical system of national security with Chinese characteristics for the new era has taken shape,which will be underpinned by a holistic approach to national security.Thus,a historic leap in the century-old construction of the CPC’s national security theory system has been achieved.This paper aims to explore the ideological context of the formation and development of a holistic approach to national security from the centennial evolution of the CPC’s national security thought,comprehend the theoretical guiding role of the CPC’s national security thought from China’s historic achievements over the past century,and grasp the historic significance and values of upholding and developing a holistic approach to national security from the new historic juncture in China’s development and its historical responsibilities in the context of great changes unseen in a century.

Strategic Thinking on the Path of National Security with Chinese Characteristics

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China(CPC)Central Committee Xi Jinping has creatively put forward a holistic approach to national security and the path of national security with Chinese characteristics,which are synergistic and inseparable.Compared with other major global powers,China is embarking on a path of national security that incorporates distinctive Chinese characteristics.Unlike the United States,which seeks international expansion and hegemony while pursuing national security,China is dedicated to maintaining global security and building a community with a shared future for humanity.Unlike Russia,which prioritizes national security over everything else,China places greater emphasis on balancing development and security.Unlike Europe and Japan,which entrust their national security to other countries,China has always adhered to the principle of independence and self-reliance.An essential feature of the path of national security with Chinese characteristics is that it upholds the unity of the people’s security,political security,and the supremacy of national interests.Moreover,China will remain committed to peaceful development while defending its interests.China will continue to balance development and security imperatives,maintaining an independent foreign policy while building a community with a shared future for humanity.To make solid strides on the path of national security with Chinese characteristics,the fundamental task will be pursuing a holistic approach to national security and implementing the Ten Upholds.

National Security Theory with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated changes unseen in a century,ushering profound transitions in the development environment of China.The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC),with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core,maintains a firm hold on the strategic initiative in ensuring China’s security.It has developed new understandings and new ideas of the laws underlying national security,and emphasized the need to take a holistic approach to national security.This holistic approach is a powerful theoretical instrument that has become a fundamental guideline by incorporating China-specific characteristics to safeguarding and shaping national security.We must conscientiously study a holistic approach to national security to strengthen our consciousness of the need to keep in alignment with the Party Central Committee.We must closely follow the Party Central Committee in terms of our thinking,political orientation,and actions.We should put into practice Xi Jinping Thought on the Governance of China and implement the strategic decision to coordinate the needs of both development and security.We must remain committed to the principle of complying with China’s overall interests in ensuring both development and security as our nation marches toward rejuvenation.We must arm ourselves with Xi Jinping’s national security theory with Chinese characteristics for a new era and use it to guide our practices,thereby enhancing our professional abilities,quality,and methodologies to achieve levels commensurate with the requirements of a major and responsible country.We should adeptly align our efforts to the big picture of ensuring China’s national security in a holistic manner.

Balancing Development and Security in the Context of Containment and Pressure by the United States

The United States is launching an all-out crackdown against China in the name of competition,which has posed increasingly severe challenges to development and security in China.The strategic competition between China and the United States is becoming an essential part of once-in-a-century changes that is shaping the world today.Under such circumstances,the Communist Party of China applies a holistic approach to national security,which aims to balance development and security as well as opening up and security.Furthermore,it intends to implement the national rejuvenation strategy within the wider context of once-ina-century global changes.Managing China’s affairs well to achieve a dynamic balance and positive interaction among high-quality development,high-level security,and high-standard opening-up can provide the basis for realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and response to containment by the United States.While fostering a new development paradigm,China advances scientific and technological innovation and pursues common prosperity.Moreover,it defends national security through firm but flexible struggles and promotes safe development by accelerating domestic circulation.However,China needs to control the costs of its security investment,pay equal attention to the risks and gains brought about by its opening-up policy,and,thus,enhance its capability to compete with the United States in the long term.

Ensuring Both Development and Security: Evolutionary Logic and Contemporary Values

China has always placed great importance on the relationship between development and security. Since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, China has been modifying its approach to security and development to keep pace with domestic and international changes. It has gone through three periods in terms of its approach to development and security—prioritizing security before the launch of the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, prioritizing development between 1978 and the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC), and gradually enhancing both these two imperatives after the 18th CPC National Congress. Currently, with the once-in-a-century global changes and the increase in traditional and non-traditional security threats, China is confronted with unprecedented external challenges. However, its capability to preserve national security still needs improvement. Based on a clear understanding of the situation, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has proposed a holistic approach to national security, highlighting “ensuring both development and security” as a guideline for China’s socio-economic development and a major principle underlying the CPC’s governance. Thus, it provides guidance, both in theory and in practice, for pursuing the path of national security with Chinese characteristics.

对总体国家安全观中“总体”和“领域”辩证关系的思考

In the new era, a holistic approach to national security entails both epistemology and methods. This approach systematically integrates and innovatively develops the scientific theories and methods developed by the Communist Party of China over the last one hundred years, with original contributions made by the concepts of “overall security” and “field security.” Overall national security is at a higher level, political in nature, and full of theoretical appeal. In contrast, field security is dynamic, oriented toward solving practical problems, and closely related to securitizing nonsecurity issues. From the three aspects of security and national security, development and security, and overall and field security,we find that overall national security and field security have a dialectical relationship between the universal and the particular, the macro and the micro, and the ordinary and the principal. Properly handling these dialectical relations will help implement the basic principles of balanced development and security and better ensure new development with a new security pattern.