In his report delivered at the 20th national congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping painted a darker, more hostile external environment than in his report at the previous conclave five years ago.
While the United States was not named in the report, it is clear that the superpower was on Mr Xi’s mind when he spoke about “the hegemonic, high-handed and bullying acts of using strength to intimidate the weak, taking from others by force and subterfuge, and playing zero-sum games are exerting grave harm”.
As former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd wrote in the Financial Times on Oct 21: “The central message to take away from the report is that Xi’s definition of national security has replaced the economy as China’s central focus for the future.” There is also continuation in foreign policy in that China is still committed to reshaping the international order, now dominated by the West, by playing an “active part in the reform and development of the global system”. It has been - and will likely continue - doing so through taking up leadership positions in international organisations, particularly those within the United Nations system, including in sectors such as civil aviation, food and agriculture and telecommunications.
The GSI is still lacking in details but stresses that no state should pursue its own security at the expense of other states’ security. It is underpinned by commitments such as maintaining common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security; respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity; and addressing the “legitimate security concerns” of all countries.