Accelerating the Construction of a New Security Architecture Guided by a Holistic Approach to National Security

At present, changes of a magnitude unseen in a century in the world, in the times, and in history are unfolding in ways like never before, and China’s development is in a period where strategic opportunities and risk challenges coexist, with increasing uncertainties and unpredictable factors. The holistic approach to national security is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and serves as the fundamental guideline and action guide for national security work in the New Era. Thoroughly studying and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on the holistic approach to national security, and closely centering on the major issue of the New Era—"what kind of new security architecture to build and how to build it"—to deepen research and advance practice, is of great significance for safeguarding the interests of national security and development and for comprehensively building a modern socialist country.

当前，世界之变、时代之变、历史之变正以前所未有的方式展开，我国发展处于战略机遇和风险挑战并存、不确定难预料因素增多的时期。总体国家安全观是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的重要组成部分，是新时代国家安全工作的根本遵循和行动指南。深入学习贯彻习近平总书记关于总体国家安全观的重要论述，紧紧围绕“构建什么样的新安全格局、怎样构建新安全格局”这一新时代重大课题深化研究、推进实践，对维护国家安全发展利益、全面建设社会主义现代化国家具有重大意义。

The Scientific Connotation of Constructing a New Security Architecture Guided by a Holistic Approach to National Security

以总体国家安全观为指导构建新安全格局的科学内涵

Adhere to a people-centered approach to security. People’s security is the fundamental value orientation of national security and the core essence of the holistic approach to national security. To construct a new security architecture, it is necessary to integrate people’s security throughout all fields and the entire process of national security work, actively respond to the people’s new expectations regarding ecological security, data security, and elderly care security, and through concrete measures such as improving the public safety system and resolving risks in areas related to people’s livelihoods, continuously enhance the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security.

坚持以人民安全为宗旨。人民安全是国家安全的根本价值取向，是总体国家安全观的核心要义。构建新安全格局，必须将人民安全贯穿国家安全工作各领域全过程，主动回应人民群众对生态安全、数据安全、养老安全等新期待，通过完善公共安全体系、化解民生领域风险等实际举措，不断增强人民群众获得感、幸福感、安全感。

Adhere to taking political security as the foundation. Political security is the anchor of national security; its core is the security of political power and the security of the system, and it is the basic prerequisite for maintaining security in other fields. To construct a new security architecture, it is necessary to place the maintenance of political security in the primary position, firmly safeguard ideological security, continuously improve political judgment, political understanding, and political execution, resolutely prevent and resist the infiltration, subversion, and sabotage activities of hostile forces, and ensure the Party’s long-term governance and the nation’s enduring peace and stability.

坚持以政治安全为根本。政治安全是国家安全的定盘星，核心是政权安全和制度安全，是维护其他领域安全的基础前提。构建新安全格局，必须把维护政治安全放在首要位置，坚定维护意识形态安全，不断提高政治判断力、政治领悟力、政治执行力，坚决防范抵御敌对势力的渗透、颠覆、破坏活动，确保党的长期执政和国家长治久安。

Adhere to taking economic security as the basis. Economic security is the material foundation of national security and the fundamental guarantee for the nation’s survival and development. We must resolutely safeguard China’s development interests, actively prevent various risks, and ensure national economic security, especially by holding the key bottom lines of food security, energy security, and the security of industrial and supply chains. To construct a new security architecture, it is necessary to adhere to development as the top priority, and through measures such as enhancing economic strength, improving the risk prevention and control system, and regulating economic order, prevent and defuse risks in finance, industry, and market fields, thereby laying a solid economic foundation for national security.

坚持以经济安全为基础。经济安全是国家安全的物质基础，是国家生存发展的根本保障。要坚决维护我国发展利益，积极防范各种风险，确保国家经济安全，尤其要守住粮食安全、能源安全、产业链供应链安全等关键底线。构建新安全格局，必须坚持发展第一要务，通过增强经济实力、完善风险防控体系、规范经济秩序等举措，防范化解金融、产业、市场等领域风险，为国家安全筑牢经济根基。

Adhere to taking military, technological, cultural, and social security as safeguards. Military, technological, cultural, and social security together constitute the “support system” of national security, each undertaking unique functions while mutually coordinating. Military security is a strong backing, requiring the enhancement of sovereignty defense capabilities through the modernization of national defense and the armed forces; technological security is a strategic support, requiring breaking through “bottleneck” constraints through high-level technological self-reliance and self-strengthening; cultural security is the spiritual core, requiring reliance on cultural confidence to inherit fine traditional Chinese culture and enhance national soft power; social security is the bottom line for people’s livelihoods, requiring the resolution of conflicts and disputes and the protection of people’s lives and property through innovative social governance. To construct a new security architecture, it is necessary to coordinate the advancement of security construction in these four major areas, forming a multi-dimensional, three-dimensional security guarantee network.

坚持以军事、科技、文化、社会安全为保障。军事、科技、文化、社会安全共同构成国家安全的“支撑体系”，各自承担独特功能又相互协同。军事安全是坚强后盾，需通过国防和军队现代化建设提升主权捍卫能力；科技安全是战略支撑，要以高水平科技自立自强突破“卡脖子”瓶颈；文化安全是精神内核，需依托文化自信传承中华优秀传统文化、增强国家软实力；社会安全是民生底线，要通过创新社会治理化解矛盾纠纷、保障人民生命财产安全。构建新安全格局，必须统筹推进四大领域安全建设，形成多维度、立体化的安全保障网络。

Adhere to taking the promotion of international security as a support. In today’s deeply developing globalization, the security of all countries is interdependent and intertwined, and building a community with a shared future for mankind has become an inevitable choice for addressing global security challenges. To construct a new security architecture, it is necessary to uphold the concept of common security, actively participate in global security governance, promote international security cooperation, create a favorable external security environment for China’s development, and demonstrate the responsibility of a major country in the New Era.

坚持以促进国际安全为依托。在全球化深入发展的今天，各国安全相互依存、休戚与共，构建人类命运共同体成为应对全球安全挑战的必然选择。构建新安全格局，必须秉持共同安全理念，积极参与全球安全治理，推动国际安全合作，为我国发展营造有利外部安全环境，彰显新时代中国的大国担当。

The Major Significance of Constructing a New Security Architecture Guided by a Holistic Approach to National Security

以总体国家安全观为指导构建新安全格局的重大意义

Constructing a new security architecture guided by a holistic approach to national security is a major strategic choice based on the national security situation in the New Era and focused on the overall strategic plan for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It has profound theoretical value, practical significance, strategic value, and global significance, providing support for national development from multiple dimensions.

以总体国家安全观为指导构建新安全格局，是立足新时代国家安全形势、着眼中华民族伟大复兴战略全局的重大战略抉择，具有深刻的理论价值、现实意义、战略价值和全球意义，从多个维度为国家发展提供支撑。

In the theoretical dimension, it enriches and develops the theoretical system of national security with Chinese characteristics. Constructing a new security architecture incorporates security from over 20 fields, including politics, economy, technology, cyberspace, and biology, into a comprehensive governance framework, breaking the limitations of traditional security concepts that “emphasize territory over people, emphasize traditional over non-traditional, and emphasize self over common,” clarifying the “four beams and eight pillars” [1]1 “Four beams and eight pillars” (四梁八柱) is a Chinese idiom referring to the main supporting structure of a building, used here metaphorically to describe the key components of the national security system. of the national security system, and providing a Chinese theoretical paradigm for developing countries exploring paths to security and development.

在理论维度，丰富发展中国特色国家安全理论体系。构建新安全格局将政治、经济、科技、网络、生物等20多个领域的安全纳入全域治理框架，打破了传统安全观“重国土轻国民、重传统轻非传统、重自身轻共同”的局限，明确了国家安全体系的“四梁八柱”，为发展中国家探索安全发展道路提供了中国理论范式。

In the practical dimension, it precisely addresses complex security risks and challenges. Constructing a new security architecture uses systematic thinking to coordinate internal and external security: internally, it consolidates the foundation of political security and reinforces the basis of economic security, solving prominent problems such as “bottleneck” constraints through targeted governance; externally, it enhances the ability to withstand risks and actively mitigates external shocks. At the same time, in response to the shift in the people’s security needs from a “survival-oriented” to a “development-oriented” type, it integrates security guarantees into livelihood practices, such as protecting personal information through cybersecurity legislation and improving the emergency management system to prevent major accidents, so that the dividends of security truly benefit the people.

在现实维度，精准应对复杂安全风险挑战。构建新安全格局以系统思维统筹内外安全，对内筑牢政治安全根本、夯实经济安全基础，通过靶向治理破解“卡脖子”等突出问题；对外提升风险抵御能力，积极化解外部冲击。同时，针对人民群众安全需求从“生存型”向“发展型”转变的趋势，将安全保障融入民生实践，如通过网络安全立法保护个人信息、完善应急管理体系防范重大事故，让安全红利切实惠及群众。

In the strategic dimension, it escorts the process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee of security; the dynamic balance between the two is an important support for national rejuvenation. Constructing a new security architecture places the prevention and resolution of risks in a prominent position, preemptively identifying and effectively handling “gray rhino” and “black swan” [2]2 “Gray rhino” (灰犀牛) refers to a highly obvious but ignored threat, while “black swan” (黑天鹅) refers to an unpredictable event with severe consequences; both are terms used in risk analysis. events in fields such as finance, energy, and food, thereby building an insurmountable security bottom line for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

在战略维度，护航中华民族伟大复兴进程。安全是发展的前提，发展是安全的保障，二者的动态平衡是民族复兴的重要支撑。构建新安全格局将防范化解风险摆在突出位置，提前预判并有效处置金融、能源、粮食等领域“灰犀牛”“黑天鹅”事件，为中华民族伟大复兴筑起不可逾越的安全底线。

In the global dimension, it promotes the transformation of the international security governance system. The concept of common security advocated by the construction of a new security architecture provides a Chinese solution for solving global security problems, offers experience that developing countries can draw upon to achieve a win-win situation of security and development, and pushes global governance towards a fairer and more reasonable direction.

在全球维度，推动国际安全治理体系变革。构建新安全格局倡导的共同安全观，为破解全球安全难题提供了中国方案，为发展中国家实现安全与发展双赢提供了可借鉴的经验，推动全球治理向更公平合理方向发展。

The Practical Path for Constructing a New Security Architecture Guided by a Holistic Approach to National Security

以总体国家安全观为指导构建新安全格局的实践路径

Constructing a new security architecture is a systematic project. It is necessary to adhere to the guidance of the holistic approach to national security, focus on the leadership of the Party, the coordination of internal and external affairs, the integration of development and security, and the participation of the entire people, solidly advance practical innovation, and lay a solid foundation for secure development.

构建新安全格局是一项系统工程，需坚持以总体国家安全观为指引，聚焦党的领导、内外统筹、发展安全融合、全民参与，扎实推进实践创新，筑牢安全发展的坚实基础。

First, we must address the issue of the Party’s role in setting the course and direction, adhere to the Party’s overall leadership, and keep the direction of secure development steady. The absolute leadership of the Party is the fundamental guarantee for doing a good job in national security work. We must deeply understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, enhance the Four Consciousnesses, strengthen the Four Confidences, and achieve the Two Upholds, ensuring that national security work always advances in the correct political direction. To construct a new security architecture, we must always uphold the Party’s core leadership role in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating all parties, forming a strong synergy for safeguarding security among the Party, government, military, civilian, and academic sectors.

首先，要抓好党的领航定向问题，坚持党的全面领导，把稳安全发展航向。党的绝对领导是做好国家安全工作的根本保证。要深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，确保国家安全工作始终沿着正确政治方向前进。构建新安全格局，必须始终坚持党总揽全局、协调各方的领导核心作用，形成党政军民学协同护安全的强大合力。

Second, we must activate the overall chessboard of internal and external coordination, build a collaborative governance system, and achieve internal and external linkage. Internally, focus on targeted governance in core areas to consolidate the “ballast stone” of security. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, China has continuously improved the national security legal system, strategic system, and policy system, strengthened the prevention and control of social order, and continued to write the two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. [3]3 The “two miracles” refer to China’s rapid economic growth and long-term social stability since the reform and opening up, a phrase often used in official discourse. To construct a new security architecture, we need to continue implementing precise governance in key areas such as politics, economy, and technology, solve the risk of technological “bottlenecks,” prevent systemic risks in the financial sector, and consolidate the internal foundation of national security. Externally, adhere to openness and cooperation to shape a favorable external environment.

其次，要盘活内外统筹大棋局，构建协同治理体系，实现内外联动。对内聚焦核心领域靶向治理，筑牢安全“压舱石”。党的十八大以来，我国不断完善国家安全法治体系、战略体系、政策体系，强化社会治安防控，续写了经济快速发展和社会长期稳定两大奇迹。构建新安全格局，需持续针对政治、经济、科技等重点领域实施精准治理，破解科技“卡脖子”风险，防范金融领域系统性风险，夯实国家安全的内部根基。对外坚持开放合作，塑造有利外部环境。

Third, we must adhere to the thinking of integrated development, coordinate high-quality development and high-level security, and consolidate the material foundation. Development is the Party’s top priority in governing and rejuvenating the country, and high-quality development is the theme of economic and social development in the New Era. At the same time, security is the prerequisite for development, ensuring national security is a top priority, and high-level security is an inherent requirement and an important benchmark for high-quality development. To construct a new security architecture, we must promote the deep integration of development and security, improve security concepts, systems, and capabilities according to the needs of different development stages, achieve a transformation of security guarantees from a single field to a systematic multi-dimensional approach, allow development achievements to support security construction, and let security guarantees create a stable environment for development.

再次，要坚持融合发展思维，统筹高质量发展和高水平安全，夯实物质基础。发展是党执政兴国的第一要务，高质量发展是新时代经济社会发展的主题。同时，安全是发展的前提，保证国家安全是头等大事，高水平安全是高质量发展的内在要求和重要标尺。构建新安全格局，必须推动发展与安全深度融合，根据不同发展阶段需求完善安全理念、体系和能力，实现安全保障从单一领域向系统多维转变，让发展成果为安全建设提供支撑，让安全保障为发展创造稳定环境。

Finally, we must consolidate our efforts, strengthen national security education for the entire populace, and fortify the social security line of defense. National security cannot be achieved without the participation of the entire populace; constructing a new security architecture requires taking national security education for the entire populace as the starting point, forming a security atmosphere in which "everyone has responsibility, everyone fulfills their duty, and everyone enjoys the benefits." On the one hand, we should innovate methods of security education, combining centralized publicity with regular education. Taking the annual "National Security Education Day for the Entire Populace" on April 15 as an opportunity, we carry out centralized publicity through forms such as knowledge competitions, themed exhibitions, and special lectures; at the same time, we use new media platforms to expand the reach of education, extending security education to the grassroots level and various groups. On the other hand, we should promote the integration of national security education into the national education system. We must comprehensively implement the requirements for national security education in primary and secondary schools and universities, construct a complete educational content system, develop specialized teaching materials, advance the disciplinary construction of national security studies, strengthen the construction of teaching staff and practice bases, establish a scientific teaching evaluation mechanism, and fundamentally enhance the national security awareness and literacy of the entire populace.

最后，要凝心聚力，强化全民国家安全教育，筑牢社会安全防线。国家安全离不开全民参与，构建新安全格局需以全民国家安全教育为抓手，形成“人人有责、人人尽责、人人享有”的安全氛围。一方面，创新安全教育方式，坚持集中宣传与常态教育相结合。以每年4月15日“全民国家安全教育日”为契机，通过知识竞赛、主题展览、专题讲座等形式开展集中宣传；同时利用新媒体平台拓展教育覆盖面，将安全教育延伸到基层一线和各类群体。另一方面，推动国家安全教育融入国民教育体系。全面落实大中小学国家安全教育要求，构建完善的教育内容体系，开发专用教材，推进国家安全学学科建设，加强师资队伍和实践基地建设，建立科学的教学评价机制，从根本上提升全民国家安全意识和素养。

Standing at a new historical starting point, we must take a holistic approach to national security as our fundamental guide, deeply grasp the scientific connotation, major significance, and practical pathways of constructing a new security architecture, resolutely implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, and continuously raise the level of modernization of the national security system and capacity. By constructing a new security architecture to safeguard the new pattern of development, we provide a strong security guarantee for comprehensively building a modern socialist country and comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

站在新的历史起点，必须以总体国家安全观为根本遵循，深刻把握构建新安全格局的科学内涵、重大意义和实践路径，坚决贯彻党中央决策部署，不断提升国家安全体系和能力现代化水平。通过构建新安全格局保障新发展格局，为全面建设社会主义现代化国家、全面推进中华民族伟大复兴提供坚强安全保障。

(The author is Deputy Party Secretary of Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics)

（作者系郑州航空工业管理学院党委副书记）