New security commission to be led by top three in Communist Party
Xi, Li and Zhang to oversee the monitoring of foreign policy, domestic and defence concerns
The Communist Party's National Security Commission will be led by the top three members of the supreme Politburo Standing Committee, underscoring the authority of the new group that will monitor domestic and foreign security issues.
President Xi Jinping will head the commission, with Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang as deputy chiefs, Xinhua reported, citing a Politburo decision yesterday.
The commission would be in charge of "making overall plans and co-ordinating major issues and major work concerning national security", the Politburo statement said. The new agency would not be considered a government body and would report to the Politburo and its Standing Committee.
"Xi, Li and Zhang are the top three figures in this country. This structure tries best to avoid a conflict with the current seven-seat Politburo Standing Committee system," said Zhang Ming , who is a professor of politics at Renmin University in Beijing.
Xi, who also chaired a new leading small group on reform, had previously told a party meeting it was essential for the party to strengthen its control to maintain political stability, and the new body would help deal with threats at home and overseas, sources said.
"Ensuring [the party's] political safety and political power will be the primary tasks facing the National Security Commission," the sources quoted him as saying.