Our tense rivalry with US will foster political volatility in China, warns domestic security chief
- Politburo member Guo Shengkun says China ‘must defend against and strike hard on sabotage, subversion and splittism by hostile forces’
- In a new book, political leaders address how to carry out the next five-year plan, including the predicted role of ideology in international relations
“Against the backdrop of US-China confrontation, China faces increasing uncertainty and instability in its external environment,” Guo Shengkun, a member of the party’s 25-strong Politburo, wrote in an article about China’s security risks in the next five years.
“Conventional and unconventional security challenges are on the rise, they are now more overlapped, interconnected, penetrating and can be easily magnified,” he wrote. “[They] could constitute systemic risks if not handled properly.”
The article was published this month in a book by the official People’s Publishing House. The book is the official explanation of the party’s directive carrying the wordy title Guidance Reader on CCP Central Committee Recommendations on the Formulation of National Economic and Social Development Targets for the 14th Five-Year Plan and the 2035 Vision.
Guo, 66, heads the party’s Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, which oversees all legal and security matters. His portfolio covers China’s police, spy agencies, prosecutors, courts and prisons.