China facing ‘more complex’ security challenges, President Xi Jinping says, warns of ‘worst-case’ situation
- Officials must stay ‘keenly aware’ of challenges and prepare for ‘most extreme scenarios’, President Xi Jinping tells National Security Commission
- Comments show China harbours no ‘illusions’ about fallout of US rivalry and has little hope of a lasting improvement in ties, analysts say
The remarks from Xi came as he chaired a meeting of the National Security Commission, his first since securing an unprecedented third term as leader of China’s ruling Communist Party at its 20th congress in October. Xi heads both the commission and the Chinese military.
He said the country’s security apparatus needed to stay “keenly aware” of the complicated and challenging circumstances facing national security, and correctly grasp major related issues, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The national security issues facing China were “considerably more complex and much more difficult” to deal with, Xinhua reported Xi as saying, as he urged officials to be ready to deal with “worst-case and most extreme scenarios”, so that they could withstand “high winds and waves and even perilous storms”.
Xi’s remarks come as rival powers China and the United States continue to lock horns on many fronts. Both sides have stepped up national security scrutiny, especially in the technology sector, with the US slapping sanctions on a slew of Chinese companies in the past few years citing security concerns.