A view of Shenzhen Photo: VCG

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) issued a communique on Thursday as its third plenary session concluded, stressing that the Chinese modernization is the modernization of peaceful development, while also saying that modernizing national defense and the armed forces is an integral part of Chinese modernization.

The third plenary session, held in Beijing from Monday to Thursday, said in the communique said that "In foreign relations, China remains firmly committed to pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace and is dedicated to promoting a human community with a shared future. Holding dear humanity's shared values, we will pursue the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative and call for an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. We will deepen institutional reforms related to the work of foreign affairs and participate in efforts to lead the reform and development of the global governance system." 

"We will resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty, security, and development interests," the communique said. 

The communique also called for improving public opinion guidance and effectively dealing with risks in the ideological domain. We will properly respond to external risks and challenges, strive to play a leading role in global governance, and actively work to foster a favorable external environment.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday that China has a very strong desire to let more people around the globe share its development achievements, such as granting a visa-free policy to more countries' nationals, and also being friendly and opening to foreign investments, and to better guide economic globalization when some other major powers are embracing protectionism and isolationism.

Chinese experts said that the communique shows that under the leadership of the CPC, China will stick to the path of peaceful development despite the world experiencing profound changes and great turbulence, while some other major powers are inciting bloc confrontation. China will also firmly safeguard its core interests, which requires powerful and reliable capabilities in national security and national defense.

On national security, the communique noted that the Party must fully apply a holistic approach to national security, improve the institutions and mechanisms for safeguarding national security, and ensure that high-quality development and greater security reinforce each other, so as to effectively safeguard the country's stability and security over the long term.

On national defense, the communique urged maintaining the Party's absolute leadership over the people's armed forces and fully implementing the strategy of strengthening the military through reform to provide a strong guarantee for realizing the goals for the centenary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 2027 and achieving basic modernization of national defense and the armed forces.

"Although China sincerely wants to stick to the path of peaceful development for realizing Chinese modernization, challenges and provocations from the outside world remain and could even become more serious in the future. Therefore, the Chinese military should be well prepared to defend China's sovereignty, development interests and all core interests at any time, and be able to strike back and defeat any enemies' provocation, even if they are the most powerful military might in the world," said a Beijing-based military expert who asked for anonymity.

The communique said "We will improve the national security system, the public security governance mechanisms, the social governance system, and the mechanisms for ensuring national security in foreign-related affairs," and "We will improve the systems and mechanisms for leading and managing the people's armed forces, further reform joint operations systems, and deepen military-civilian reforms."