The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee decided Friday to assign President Xi Jinping as head of China's new national security commission, and Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang as the commission's deputy heads.

The assignment of the Party and State's top leaders has highlighted the importance of the newly established security commission.

The commission, which will answer to the Political Bureau and its standing committee, will be the CPC Central Committee agency responsible for decision-making, deliberation and coordination on national security work.

This arrangement is practical. It has made the public more confident in the role the security commission is supposed to play.

The concept of national security has become hard to define and therefore hard to maintain. It is a challenge for most sovereign states in the world in an era of globalization.

As a big country going through a transformation, China is facing an even more complex situation. It is not just a matter of protecting its borders, but also preserving national stability and the momentum of growth. If the country falls into domestic chaos, it will mean not only an end to China's rise, but also turmoil for people's lives. The impact will be no less devastating than an invasion by foreign enemies.

The national security commission will serve as a vital line of defense. Threats to national security, from both outside and inside, from economic, military and political sectors, all need a powerful body crossing the lines of Party, military and administrative organizations to coordinate and lead. Assigning Xi as the head will largely reduce the conflict between various departmental interests and ensure the efficiency of the security commission.

Security is like air - people tend to ignore it when they have it; but they will lose their lives without it. The concept of greater national security should be consolidated among Chinese people.

The fate of the common people has become more tightly connected to the country's than ever before. People have more channels to contribute to the country's security, and at the same time have greater potential to do damage. Public opinion should help people better understand the meaning of today's national security, and help them make the right choices.

The central government has outlined a series of major reforms that have won wide praise. However, whether these reforms will be carried out and succeed depend on the people's active participation. Only the joint efforts between the government and the people can ensure the success of the reforms.