China still faces traditional security challenges: expert

In an interview with Sino-US.com on Thursday, a Chinese expert hailed the success of China's economic diplomacy but pointed out that the country still has challenges in traditional security.

As the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is under way, Li Wei, a researcher at the National Academy of Development and Strategy at Renmin University of China and Academic Committee Member of the Pangoal Institution, said that the implementation of the Belt and Road initiative and the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund reflected the success China has made in economic diplomacy over the past five years.

Meanwhile, Li stressed the risks China is facing in traditional security, with the biggest trouble coming from provocative North Korea, against which China has not worked out effective countermeasures.

In the South China Sea, China's growing assertiveness in the disputed waters has triggered fears among the related Southeast Asian countries and the United States, which also has differences with China on the issue of Taiwan, Li noted.

Under the circumstances, the report General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered to the 19th National Congress of the CPC on Wednesday set two major diplomatic goals of building the new type of great power relationship and the common community of human destiny.
Li described the two diplomatic goals as "transcending what China has done in diplomacy in the past 30 years", during which the country's diplomacy only served the economy with little focus on deeper vision.

Li also talked about the "concept of state security", which was mentioned in Xi's report. The "concept of state security" is not only about diplomacy but also touch upon the construction of the national security system, said Li, predicting that the mention of the concept might mean further reforms by the National Security Commission.

Finally, the Chinese expert called for the establishment of a powerful diplomatic system that can be capable of managing various military, economic and cultural resources in case of diplomatic emergencies.