China urged to safeguard overseas interests as sanctions hinder investments

Study Times front-page article says China must extend its national security mechanisms to protect its interests overseas amid rising tensions

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China is bracing for fresh economic and investment frictions from the likes of the United States, European Union and Canada. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 10:00pm, 17 Sep 2024Updated: 10:29pm, 17 Sep 2024

China must bolster efforts to safeguard its fast expanding overseas interests and make supply chains resilient to fight against sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, a top Communist Party publication has urged.

“China must enhance foreign-related national security mechanisms, further strengthen the rule of law in foreign-related matters, and safeguard the security of overseas interests,” said the Study Times, the official publication of the Central Party School, the Communist Party’s top ideological training centre.

The front-page article on Monday, titled “Putting national security in a more prominent position”, also stressed the coordination of development and security amid mounting challenges as more countries erect trade and investment hurdles at the same time China is contending with an uneven economic recovery.

The world’s second-largest economy is bracing for fresh economic and investment frictions on top of a protracted trade war with the United States, with measures targeting its solar panels, electric vehicles, steel, aluminium and even low-end consumer products also coming from Washington as well as the likes of the European Union and Canada.

The Study Times article proposed the establishment of an “all-weather” early warning and risk assessment service platform for overseas projects to fight trade barriers, sanctions, interference and long-arm jurisdiction.