Zhang Hengli: In-depth Study of General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Expositions on Risk Prevention and Control
The awareness of potential danger in times of peace (jū'ān-sīwēi [1]) embodies the survival wisdom passed down through more than five thousand years of Chinese civilization; it is also a summary of the historical experience gained by the Communist Party of China (CPC) during its century-long journey of struggle. Today, the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. While our country has achieved world-renowned developmental success, it also faces unprecedented risks and challenges in fields such as politics, science and technology, and society. Based on changes in the international situation, national conditions, and the state of the Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping has taken a holistic view of the "two overall situations" [2], focused on the goal of building a great modern socialist country, and comprehensively implemented the holistic approach to national security. He has formed a series of important discourses on risk prevention and control, systematically answering the technological origins, political stance, and social goals of risk prevention and control in the New Era from a dimension that combines history and reality, while providing instructions on issues of a strategic, fundamental, and directional nature. Exploring the triple logic of risk generation (ontogenesis), value (axiology), and existence (ontology) in the technological, political, and social spheres will better promote the grasping of opportunities in technological development, allow us to respond calmly to risks and challenges, and provide an important value guide, realistic foundation, and target basis for comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.
Generative Roots: Clarifying the Technological Origins and Complex Multiplicity of Risk
The paradigm of modern technological development is shifting, and high-tech risks are gradually emerging. Rapid progress in high-tech fields, including artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT), has improved the convenience of life and enhanced human well-being. At the same time, the integrated innovation of technology clusters such as AI, gene editing, and brain-computer interfaces has promoted the close integration of science with engineering and industry, leading to the swift development of frontier technologies. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that "technological innovation and science popularization are the two wings for achieving innovative development," emphasizing the important driving role of technological innovation for national development. However, the brighter the prospects, the more we must enhance our awareness of potential danger, ensuring we "stay alert to danger in times of peace" and "mend the umbrella before it rains" (wèiyǔ-chóumóu [3]). The extensive application of these technologies has also brought risks and challenges. As an emerging and evolving form of risk, high-tech risk is gradually highlighting its importance as the origin and point of departure for numerous other risks.
High-tech risks do not exist in isolation; they are intertwined and symbiotic with risks in social, political, economic, military, and cultural fields. This fusion not only exacerbates the complexity and multiplicity of risks but also causes risks to superimpose and escalate. For example, with the widespread application of big data technology, risks such as the leakage of personal information and privacy violations have become increasingly prominent. These risks concern not only individual rights but may also trigger crises of social trust. Meanwhile, the application of high technology in the military field, such as unmanned combat systems and cyber-attack technologies, has not only changed the form of traditional warfare but also increased the complexity and uncertainty of the international security environment. Furthermore, high technology is closely linked to economic risks and cultural conflicts, together constituting a complex network of risks.
Against the background of the intersection and fusion of high-tech risks and risks in various social fields, risk issues manifest more complex and diverse characteristics. These risks are no longer confined to a specific field or space; they move from the local to the holistic, from the singular to the comprehensive, and from online to offline, spreading and expanding to all areas of society.
"We must coordinate development and security, place equal emphasis on both, ensure sustained, healthy, and stable economic growth while promoting high-quality development, and ensure social harmony and stability while maintaining and shaping national security." For example, cybersecurity risks do not only affect the security and stability of cyberspace but may also spill over into the real economy, national security, and even social stability through information leaks and cyber-attacks. At the same time, high-tech risks may lead to conflicts and the reshaping of social ethics and morality, posing challenges to cultural inheritance and innovation. Therefore, facing the new trends of high-tech risks in the New Era, we must maintain a firm political stance, strengthen the top-level design of risk prevention and control, and build a comprehensive, systematic, and efficient risk prevention and control system to ensure the healthy development of frontier technologies and safeguard social harmony and stability.
Value Orientation: Persisting in the Principles of Being People-Centered and Putting Life Above All Else
Technological progress and social development should aim at achieving human liberation and free and well-rounded development. Taking a firm stand on the people's position and remaining people-centered is not only the fundamental viewpoint of Marxist thoughts on the ethics of science and technology but also the fundamental value orientation of the CPC in leading the development of our country's scientific and technological undertakings. Technological development should uphold the original aspiration of a human-oriented approach; it must not override human ethics and morality, nor should it alienate humans into tools or even experimental subjects. In the process of technological development, we should attach importance to humanistic care, proceed from "actual, living human beings," focus on resolving the principal contradiction in society [4], and take the realization of well-rounded human development as the fundamental goal. This ensures that the development and application of technology align with human interests and needs, letting technology truly serve the people to dissipate the phenomena of technological alienation and social ethical issues faced by humanity. Only when science and technology develop within a humanistic framework will they avoid easily trampling over ethical boundaries. Science and technology are not a castle in the air; they must be built upon the people-centered development philosophy, allowing the people to enjoy the rich fruits of technological innovation and using this as a driver to continuously advance science and technology. The development and application of technology must be tailored to the people's needs, focus on the people's interests, and take the people's well-being as the ultimate goal, truly realizing the value of technological development and innovation and playing its proper role in benefiting humanity.
The people are the foundation and the source of strength for the Party. Risk prevention and control must persist in the fundamental leadership of the CPC, and the Party’s strength comes from the support and trust of the people. The people's position is the core value and basic stance of a Marxist governing party. In the process of responding to diverse risks and challenges, we must rely closely on the masses, fully trust the wisdom and strength of the people, and stimulate their initiative and creativity. We must transform the correct propositions of risk prevention and control into the conscious actions of the people, forming a powerful synergy where those above and below are of one mind, working together to combat risks and challenges. Therefore, in the risk prevention and control work of the New Era, we must persist in the people-centered development philosophy, starting from the most immediate and practical interest issues that concern the masses most directly. We must actively prevent and defuse major safety hazards around the masses and ensure the safety of the people’s lives and property, thereby allowing the masses to obtain a greater sense of happiness and security.
Risk prevention and control should adhere to the value principles of "people first, life first." General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "Our Party comes from the people, is rooted in the people, and benefits the people. Serving the people whole-heartedly is the Party’s fundamental purpose. We must take the fundamental interests of the broadest possible range of people as the fundamental starting point and ultimate goal of all our work." Entering the New Era, the political stance of risk prevention and control has become increasingly indispensable, and the concept of "people first, life first" is the core of this stance. This concept not only profoundly reflects the Party’s deep concern for the fundamental interests of the masses but also clearly demonstrates the inherent superiority of the socialist system. The ultimate goal of risk prevention and control is to ensure the safety of the people’s lives and property, and further to maintain social harmony, stability, and sustainable development. Therefore, comprehensively integrating the "people first, life first" concept into all aspects of risk prevention and control constitutes a fundamental requirement for work in the New Era. When formulating risk prevention and control strategies and deploying relevant measures, we must comprehensively and deeply consider the actual needs and fundamental interests of the masses, ensuring that risk prevention and control work always adheres to the correct political direction and moves forward steadily. We must persist in being people-centered and persist in the idea that "risks are prevented for the sake of the people." Preventing and defusing major risks must be both institutionalized and humanized; we cannot adopt a rigid "one-size-fits-all" (yīdāoqiè [5]) approach but should instead respond flexibly according to actual conditions. At the same time, we need to actively stimulate the sense of responsibility and initiative of the masses in preventing and defusing major risks, thereby providing a strong shield and source of strength for these efforts.
Existential Manifestations: The Core Goals of Maintaining National Security and Social Stability
Enhancing the awareness of potential danger is a distinct theme of risk prevention and control in the New Era. Faced with a complex and volatile international situation and the arduous tasks of domestic reform, development, and stability, we must "stay alert to danger in times of peace" and enhance our awareness of potential danger, risk, and responsibility. In modern society, technological risks are becoming increasingly prominent, extensively penetrating multiple fields such as economy, politics, culture, and ecology, and manifesting complex characteristics that cross fields, subjects, and levels. Risk identification is no longer limited to a single dimension or local scope; it requires proceeding from a holistic societal perspective and comprehensively considering the multiple attributes and interconnections of risks to fully grasp the overall picture and potential impact of risks. With the complication of risk manifestations, the scope of risk subjects is also continuously expanding. In the context of the New Era, social individuals, organizations, and even the state have become nodes in the risk network, acting as both producers and bearers of risk. This breadth of risk subjects means that risk prevention and control is no longer merely the responsibility of the government or specific institutions, but requires the joint participation and effort of the whole society. At the same time, the interactivity between risk subjects has been significantly enhanced; a risk event in one field or individual can easily trigger a chain reaction affecting other fields or individuals. Therefore, in the process of risk identification and evaluation, we must focus on analyzing risk transmission paths and diffusion effects to more accurately predict and respond to risks.
Promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity and leveraging institutional advantages are essential for responding to risks. This modernization is an important task for risk prevention and control in the New Era. It requires not only innovation and refinement at the institutional level but also constant attention to the needs and interests of the masses in practice, continuously improving the ability to respond to risks and challenges. In the field of risk prevention and control, we must make full use of our institutional advantages, construct and improve risk prevention and control systems, and clarify the division of responsibilities among governments at all levels and relevant departments to form a collaborative working pattern. At the same time, we must strengthen the construction of the rule of law in risk prevention and control, improving the relevant legal systems and policy mechanisms to provide solid legal support. We must continuously enhance the modernization level of the national governance system and governance capacity to more effectively respond to various risk challenges faced in the New Era.
Constructing and improving mechanisms for risk monitoring, judgment, and early warning has become key to achieving social stability and national security. We must refine risk prevention and control mechanisms, establishing and improving mechanisms for risk judgment, decision-making risk assessment, collaborative prevention and control, and accountability. At the same time, it is necessary to establish cross-departmental and cross-regional coordination mechanisms to achieve information sharing and resource integration, effectively responding to cross-field and cross-regional risk challenges. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on risk prevention and control have pointed out the direction and focus for improving these mechanisms; we should focus on their systemic, collaborative, and innovative nature. Additionally, strengthening the cultivation of public risk awareness and response capabilities is an indispensable link. By improving the overall risk resistance of society through education and training, we will gradually build an efficient, sensitive, and collaborative risk prevention and control system, providing a solid guarantee for social stability and national security in the New Era.
General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on risk prevention and control provide a comprehensive guiding framework for risk management in a modern technological society. From a generative perspective, contemporary technological development is characterized by multiplicity and complexity, where the intertwining of high technology with various social sectors brings unprecedented challenges. The axiological perspective emphasizes that technological development must remain people-centered, ensuring its application aligns with human interests and ethics to achieve well-rounded human development and happiness. The ontological perspective highlights the importance of maintaining national security and social stability, emphasizing the construction of refined monitoring, judgment, and early-warning mechanisms by enhancing the awareness of potential danger and promoting the modernization of national governance. These three perspectives are interconnected and internally unified, together constituting an organic whole that provides important theoretical guidance and a practical basis for the healthy development of our country's technology and for global risk governance.
(The author is a professor at the School of Marxism, Beihang University)
Source: Guangming Daily
Web Editor: Huihui