Ding Jinqing: Building a Higher-Level Peaceful China
Peace is the cornerstone of national rejuvenation and the bedrock of wellbeing for hundreds of millions of people. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the building of a Peaceful China, consistently treating the maintenance of social peace and stability as a major task of national governance, and leading the construction of a Peaceful China in the New Era toward new horizons. The "Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" (hereinafter referred to as the "Recommendations"), deliberated and adopted by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, lists "persisting in the coordination of development and security" as one of the essential principles to be followed during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period. It further sets out arrangements centered on "advancing the modernization of the national security system and capacity, and building a higher-level Peaceful China." At present, China's development environment faces profound and complex changes. Only by unswervingly implementing the Holistic Approach to National Security [1] and following the path of socialist social governance with Chinese characteristics can we ensure that society remains vibrant yet orderly, and that Chinese-path modernization advances steadily and reaches far.
1. Strengthening the Sense of Responsibility for Building a Higher-Level Peaceful China
Building a higher-level Peaceful China concerns the long-term stability of the state and the happiness and health of the people. China is one of the safest countries in the world, yet security is always relative, not absolute. The "Recommendations" point out that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, China's development environment will face profound and complex changes, and "risks and hidden dangers still exist in key fields." We must remain mindful of potential dangers in times of peace, strengthen our awareness of potential risks, and demonstrate new responsibility and actions in the in-depth promotion of a higher-level Peaceful China.
Scientifically grasping the national security situation. National security is the foundation of national rejuvenation, and social stability is the prerequisite for national prosperity. Currently, the world’s once-in-a-century great changes are accelerating, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. China's development is in a period where strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, and where uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing. The national security situation is undergoing profound and complex changes: chaos and conflict are intertwined globally; instability is intensifying; and geopolitical conflicts occur frequently. Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, the threats of hegemonism and power politics are increasing, the international economic and trade order faces severe challenges, and the momentum for global economic growth is insufficient. The maneuvers among major powers are becoming more complex and intense. Advancing Chinese-path modernization will inevitably encounter various predictable and unpredictable risks, challenges, difficulties, obstacles, and even "stormy seas" [2]. In this context, efforts must focus on preventing political security risks, social order risks, social conflict risks, public security risks, and network security risks, so as to safeguard Chinese-path modernization with a new security architecture.
Adhering to the value pursuit of putting the people first. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Peace is the first demand of the people after solving the problem of food and clothing; it is an extremely important aspect of people's livelihoods and the most basic environment for development." With the development of the times and social progress, the people's aspiration for a better life has become stronger. Their demands for democracy, the rule of law, fairness, justice, security, and the environment are increasing daily. Their needs for peace are becoming more diversified, multi-layered, and multifaceted—rising from the traditional sense of safety of life and property to a greater expectation for security in employment, housing, health, and peace of mind. The connotations of peace are constantly being enriched, its extension continuously expanded, and its standards and requirements heightened. Only by striving to build a higher-level Peaceful China, ensuring social stability and order, and creating a social governance community where everyone is responsible, performs their duties, and shares in the benefits, can we make the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security more substantial, guaranteed, and sustainable.
Improving capabilities and skills for maintaining security. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the capacity building of the cadre contingent, emphasizing the need to strengthen the "eight skills" [3] and improve the "seven capacities" [4]. Building a higher-level Peaceful China concerns the safety of people's lives and property and social harmony and stability. It is an important dimension for measuring the leadership of the governing party, testing the execution power of the government, judging the mobilization power of the state, and reflecting national cohesion. It involves many areas and long-term efforts, featuring many unknown territories that require exploration, which places new and higher requirements on the modernization capabilities of cadres. Party members and cadres should place greater emphasis on learning, focusing on the key tasks of Peaceful China construction. They must comprehensively improve their levels in maintaining national political security, preventing and resolving conflicts and disputes, cracking down on and preventing illegal crimes, improving social security prevention and control, ensuring public safety, and promoting comprehensive internet governance. Professionalization must be prioritized to improve the ability of leading cadres to apply laws and policies, prevent and control risks, conduct mass work, apply technology, and guide public opinion.
2. Clarifying the Tasks and Requirements for Building a Higher-Level Peaceful China
The "Recommendations" list "further consolidating the national security barrier" as one of the main goals for economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period. It proposes that "the national security system and capacity be further strengthened, risks in key areas be effectively prevented and resolved, the level of social governance and public safety governance be significantly improved, the goal for the centenary of the People's Liberation Army be achieved as scheduled, and the construction of a higher-level Peaceful China be solidly advanced." The construction of a Peaceful China is a process of dynamic development and continuous upgrading; we must scientifically grasp the task requirements for building a higher-level Peaceful China on the new journey.
Maintaining a firm people-centered stance. The people are the creators of history, and the people-centered stance is our Party's fundamental political stance. High public satisfaction and a more secure, stable, and orderly society are the core indicators of a higher-level Peaceful China. We should strengthen the development of livelihoods that are inclusive, basic, and provide a safety net, solving the security issues that concern the people most directly and realistically. We must improve the social security system, steadily promote the equalization of basic public services, and advance security guarantees, the maintenance of justice, rights remedies, and service provision. This will maximize the prevention and resolution of social contradictions, promote social safety and stability, and allow the fruits of development to benefit all people more fairly and thoroughly, comprehensively upgrading the level of protecting the people's peace and their rights.
Consolidating the primary-level foundation. If the primary level is strong, the country is strong; if the primary level is secure, the world is at peace. To build a higher-level Peaceful China, we must improve primary-level security resilience and resolve contradictions and problems at the primary level in their embryonic state [5]. This is inseparable from the broad participation of the whole society. In major emergencies, the response speed and disposal capacity of the primary level directly affect the overall efficacy of Peaceful China construction. We should adhere to the clear orientation of focusing on the primary level, concentrating efforts on the "nerve endings" of society, pushing resources and guarantees downward, and enhancing the security resilience of the primary level when facing emergencies. We must persist in and develop the "Fengqiao Experience" [6] in the New Era, continuously strengthen and innovate primary-level social governance, and build a solid "people's line of defense" for the construction of a Peaceful China to safeguard national security, social stability, and the people's tranquility.
Improving systems and mechanisms. Systems and mechanisms play a fundamental, holistic, stable, and long-term role. To build a higher-level Peaceful China, we must make great efforts to patch the institutional loopholes that restrict its construction, eliminating hidden dangers and solving problems at their root. Persisting in governance at the source requires improving diversified mechanisms for preventing and resolving contradictions and disputes, refining the mechanism for correctly handling contradictions among the people [7] under new circumstances, improving public safety governance mechanisms, refining the social governance system, and improving mechanisms for participating in global security governance. On this basis, we must correctly handle a series of important relationships—such as between freedom and order, efficiency and equity, and maintaining stability and protecting rights—effectively solving prominent problems affecting national security and social stability, and supporting "China's Governance" (Zhōngguó zhī zhì) with "China's System" (Zhōngguó zhī zhì).
Solidifying the foundation of the rule of law. Law is the essential tool of national governance, and governance according to law is the most reliable and stable form of governance. History proves that whenever the rule of law is valued, the country is prosperous and the people are at peace; whenever the rule of law is relaxed, there is turmoil and instability. To promote the construction of a higher-level Peaceful China on the track of the rule of law, we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, be adept at using legal thinking and methods to solve contradictions and lead social trends, and continuously improve the ability of Party members and cadres to use legal means to lead and strengthen social governance. We should strengthen legislative work and institutional building in the field of Peaceful China construction, forming a comprehensive, scientific, and effective system of legal rules. This will better leverage the role of the rule of law in consolidating foundations, stabilizing expectations, and benefiting the long term, while continuously improving the standardization and legalization of Peaceful China construction.
Stimulating the drive for innovation. The construction of a Peaceful China is a complex systemic project involving various contradictions and problems, where new and old issues overlap. It is the field most in need of innovation. This requires us to follow the trends of the times, respond to the people's demands, explore boldly in practice, and maintain the courage to innovate. We must accurately identify changes, respond to them scientifically, and seek change proactively—advancing with the times to innovate and improve methods such as systemic governance, governance according to law, comprehensive governance, and governance at the source. We must continuously promote innovation in concepts, mechanisms, methods, and platforms, enhancing the foresight, creativity, and systemic nature of our work. By enhancing technological empowerment and innovatively applying digital and intelligent technologies, we can transform the means of Peaceful China construction and improve the level of legalization, intelligence, and professionalization in social governance.
3. Grasping the Main Directions for Building a Higher-Level Peaceful China
Facing complex situations and heavy tasks, building a higher-level Peaceful China should focus on important areas and key links, prioritizing the resolution of principal contradictions and the principal aspects of contradictions. We must achieve key breakthroughs within the overall advancement, using these breakthroughs to drive the overall leap in the level of Peaceful China construction, ensuring that "a single move affects the entire situation" and "one well-placed pawn vitalizes the whole board."
Improving the national security system. The "peace" in building a higher-level Peaceful China is a system of peace based on national security. It includes not only the maintenance of public safety and social stability but also the "Greater Peace" (dà píng'ān) in the fields of economy, politics, culture, society, and ecological civilization under the guidance of the Holistic Approach to National Security. To this end, the construction of a Peaceful China should be advanced within the overall context of the development of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, with strengthened forward-looking thinking, holistic planning, strategic layout, and integrated advancement. To improve the national security system, we must consolidate the centralized, unified, efficient, and authoritative leadership system for national security, accelerate the construction of a new security architecture, and enhance strategic initiative in maintaining and shaping national security. We must refine the legal, strategic, policy, and risk prevention and control systems for national security; strengthen coordination mechanisms for key areas and major special projects; and build a multidimensional, efficient national security protection system that links all fields, while strengthening the integrated national strategic system. We must also enhance national security capacity building in key areas, solidify the underlying guarantees for national security, and promote the organic connection and integrated mobilization of all aspects of the national security system to form a systemic synergy and combat effectiveness.
Improving the social governance system. Building a higher-level Peaceful China requires coordinating development and security at a higher level and on a broader scale, achieving a dynamic balance between high-quality development and high-level security. An important aspect of this is improving the social governance system to coordinate social forces, balance social interests, and regulate social relations, ensuring that society is both vibrant and stable. This requires continuously improving the functional systems of Party and state institutions, the system of legal norms, the system of consultative democracy, the system of work for mass organizations, and the municipal social governance system, thereby transforming the institutional advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics into powerful governance efficacy. To this end, we should improve the urban and rural primary-level governance systems, refine social work systems and mechanisms, enhance municipal social governance capabilities, improve the overall social security prevention and control system, and cultivate a positive social mindset. We must continuously improve the social governance system of "shared construction, shared governance, and shared benefits," establishing mentalities and mechanisms for joint mediation of contradictions, joint prevention of security issues, joint linkage of work, and joint treatment of problems. We must deeply investigate and resolve contradictions and disputes, crack down on various illegal crimes in accordance with the law, and ensure that social contradictions are resolved, social justice is upheld, and social harmony is manifest.
Refining public safety governance mechanisms. Public safety affects every household. Building a higher-level Peaceful China requires improving public safety governance mechanisms and strengthening institutional guarantees to form effective social governance, good social order, and strong social security. We must refine the public safety system, promoting a transition in public safety governance models toward prior prevention. We should improve the emergency command mechanism under the framework of "Great Security and Great Emergency Response," strengthen primary-level emergency foundations and forces, and improve the capacity for disaster prevention, mitigation, relief, and the handling of major public emergencies to form a synergy in public safety governance. We should leverage the supportive role of technology in public safety governance innovation, using advanced technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence to strengthen full-chain supervision of key industries and fields like production safety, transportation safety, and food and drug safety. We must build intelligent and precise risk early-warning mechanisms to improve risk identification capabilities. Furthermore, we must do a good job in workplace safety and stability maintenance, strictly enforcing safety responsibilities, implementing regulatory systems, and resolutely preventing and curbing the occurrence of major and extra-serious accidents, ensuring the overall transformation of the quality, efficiency, and momentum of Peaceful China construction.
Improving coordination mechanisms for foreign-related national security. Currently, the status of foreign-related security in the overall national security work is becoming increasingly important. In the context of economic globalization, we must attach great importance to the safety of China's major overseas projects, overseas institutions, and personnel, incorporating the security of overseas interests into the Holistic Approach to National Security to protect the safety and legitimate rights of Chinese citizens, organizations, and institutions abroad. To this end, we should coordinate international and domestic security to form an integrated security system. We must improve mechanisms for counter-sanctions, counter-interference, and counter-"long-arm jurisdiction," resolutely opposing all forms of hegemonism and power politics to shape a favorable external environment. We must strengthen the development of foreign-related rule of law and the assessment of foreign-related legal and social security risks, enhancing the early warning, prevention, and protection mechanisms for overseas interests and investment risks, while resolutely safeguarding China's sovereignty, security, and development interests. We must improve the mechanisms for participating in global security governance, actively implement Global Security Initiatives, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to the reform of the global security governance system and the resolution of human security dilemmas.