Some Observations on the Belt and Road and China’s National Security

By Lu Yanli, Post Graduate Studies,

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Some Observations on the Belt and Road and China’s National Security

By Lu Yanli, Post Graduate Studies,

CPCCC Party School

The Belt and Road Initiative and China’s national security are an important national strategy. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013 has aroused high attention at home and abroad, and the Belt and Road construction has yielded a bumper harvest. Academic circles also carry out in-depth explorations and the related research institutions crop up like bamboo shoots after Spring rain at home. China’s national security is also a fundamental criteria for China’s rise, is the foundation for China’s peaceful development and even a priority consideration for the Belt and Road construction. However, against the backdrop of the deepening changes of the internal and external environment currently, the sources of security are getting more complex, China’s task to maintain national security is more formidable. Therefore, China has proposed a community of shared future, sustainable security conception, etc., in hope to coordinate security and development, coordinate internal affairs and international affairs, and coordinate national security and global security, so as to pioneer a national security path with Chinese characteristics.

It is true that the Belt and Road Initiative is a proposal for economic development, but the global economics and politics cannot but label it with some kind of security connotation. In this case, the Belt and Road Initiative faces a complexity of development-security connectivity.1Plus that the Belt and Road construction will coexist with a rising China for a long time, and in the advancing process will inevitably meet with a changing international environment such as a changing international architecture, international institutions readjustments, changing major countries strategies, etc.2so how to coordinate international security and national security is a critical issue related to international security environment for China’s rise. Besides, taking into account the national security and global security, to safeguard the Belt and Road construction and to maintain global security, to build a development path of sustainable security is the orientation for the Belt and Road Initiative and China’s national security to pursue. Thus, the Belt and Road Initiative and China’s national security are related to the overall situation of both China’s national security and development, both China’s internal security and international security, and shows strategic and urgent bearing.

I. The research status quo of the Belt and Road construction and China’s national security

The Belt and Road construction traverse the Asian, African and European continents, and pass through over 60 countries, among which the political, national, religious and cultural matters, etc. are complicated, whether the Initiative is viewed as a economic cooperation initiative or a strategy, it should give constant heed to security issue in its advancement process in this environment. Without a sound security environment, it is difficult for an economic cooperation to be fruitful, and the previous efforts may be wasted, so the Belt and Road construction must be based on sound security situation.3Up to September 2016, the accumulated China’s investments in countries along the routes amount to US$51.1 billion and signed 12500 project contracts with them.4The speed and achievements of the Belt and Road construction are highly commended, thus the studies of the Belt and Road construction and national security get more urgent.

Those previous articles give more attention to macro-understanding of security challenges the Belt and Road construction faces. From the perspective of security threats contents, there are traditional security threats and non-traditional security threats as well as the interwoven ones. From the perspective of security threats in different regions, the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road will meet with different security threats in their respective regions. Dr. Liu Haiquan in one of his articles analyzes traditional security challenges of the the Belt and Road construction such as major countries political game-play, territorial disputes, some individual countries domestic chaos as well as non- traditional security challenges such as terrorism, piracy and transnational crimes, etc. Professor Wang Yiwei categorizes the non- traditional security challenges of the Belt and Road construction in the following, economic security, environment security, and outside-led Color Revolution, the combined energy security and transnational forces leading to security threats, quality security and frontier security leading to domestic security threats; and there are multiple actors. Associate research fellow Zhang Hong of China Academy of Social Sciences holds that attention should also be given to political security, government policies, major countries game-play and geopolitics. Studies in this period basically summarize security challenges the Belt and Road construction may encounter, focusing on macro-description of security challenges.

Following the vigorous work and outstanding progress of the Belt and Road construction, research studies also get richer. There are a number of specific works published, such as the Belt and Road: Opportunities and Challenges by Professor Wang Yiwei,5Assessment of National Security Risks of countries along the Belt and Road by the National Assessment Board on the Belt and Road as well as Assessment on China’s Peripheral Security Situation: the Belt and Road Initiative and China’s Peripheral Strategy by Professor Zhang Jie of CASS. The above-mentioned works give concrete analysis on security risks the Belt and Road construction may meet with, and with specific and broad perspectives, give main concerns as follows:

Frontier Security is an important composition of China’s national security. In the process that the Belt and Road construction promotes China’s further opening-up to the outside world, its frontier regions are the regions directly carrying out international exchanges, thus, border disputes, border control, transnational security governance, and the three-forces, etc. constitute security challenges to the Belt and Road construction. However, it should be noted that following progress of the Belt and Road construction, China and relevant countries shape and build mutual benefits, win-win outcome, and common security concepts, which will bring about opportunities for frontier security governance.6For instance, in the wake of further opening-up and development in China’s western region, Tibet while actively participating in the Belt and Road construction and bringing along the regional development, can also help promote national security through geo-advantages to build friendly relations with neighbors.7But undoubtedly following China’s deepened international exchanges, regional security environments will get more complicated and local governments will stand greater tests in security governance. From this perspective, Xinjiang is a typical case. Even though it has clear-cut and unique geographical location advantages within the Belt and Road construction, yet, the Xinjiang separatist force constantly impacts its economic development environment, constituting a constraint over the Belt and Road construction.8Therefore, in the course of the Belt and Road construction, attach importance to both the political security and frontier security, strengthen communication and coordination over the regional security issues with regional neighbors, prevent social and ethnic contradictions from getting sharpened and assure a coordinated progress of national security and regional development.9

Following the deepened global economic interdependence, state-to-state economic sensitivity and delicacy are enhanced. The Belt and Road Initiative adheres to opening-up, seeks China’s deep integration into the world economic system, carries magnificent bearing on making breakthrough of the TPP impacts and driving new growth of China’s economy.10Meanwhile, the strengthening economic interdependence has also brought with it some security risks, intensified the risk of all-loss in the case of one-loss in state-to-state economic relationship, the significant impact and fast proliferation of the world economic crisis are proved historically and currently. Besides, the establishment of link-point countries along the routes may also generate some political game-play.11Since establishment of link-point countries along the routes may help change their regional economic position and political role, thus, some countries along the routes may be stimulated to actively or passively to participate in the relevant geo-game play. Some major countries may also carry out political and economic competition with China over some major projects in important countries, for example, China and Japan may have sharp fierce competition over the infrastructure construction export with high-speed train projects in Southeast Asia as the main arena.

Energy is a strategic resource, major countries game-play around energy never stops in the world. Currently, China’s dependence on overseas energy is relatively high, following China’s economic development and changing international energy architecture, China’s energy security is highlighted. Energy cooperation is an important aspect of the Belt and Road construction, with the aid of which China can multiply the source of energy supply and the import channels.12Huang Xiaoyong of CASS holds that directed at different characters of energy competition and cooperation of different regions of Asia, efforts should be made to build regional energy markets, and promote Asian common energy security. Piao Guangji of CASS argues that China-Russia-Mongolia energy cooperation shows a leading-role of a demonstrative base in the Belt and Road energy cooperation, and points out that the three countries are connected geographically, enabling the relevant strategies of the three countries to get docked and the three countries to greet the strategic period for energy cooperation. Meanwhile the regional complex security situation also promotes their security cooperation. But the three countries energy cooperation mechanisms shortage and the backward infrastructure will slow down the progress of their cooperation.

Security is related to the life-and-death of a nation-state, the Belt and Road construction will meet with many security risks, so we should minimize those possible security risks. Around the Belt and Road Initiative, there are some strategic suspicions of major countries, geopolitical and geo-economic game-play which will impose negative impacts on China’s economy, and will produce damages on security environment for China’s peaceful development, all of which request us to build risks-control awareness and fend off the political and financial risks.13

Currently, the domestic research studies focus on climate, discourse and culture security strategies, but are short of research results. Compared with importance of the Belt and Road construction grand lay-out and national security, the existing research and results still show weakness and inadequacy, for instance, as the Belt and Road construction is in a more open regional environments, China’s frontier problems will face what kind of opportunities and challenges, presently there are more research results concerning the western frontier but relatively less on other parts of the frontier. Similarly, there are inadequate research studies on regional concrete security problems, such as how to maintain national security from the global, regional and some individual countries perspectives.

II. Explorations on the means to maintain the Belt and Road construction and national security

Among the important topics of the Belt and Road Initiative and China’s national security, those ways and means to safeguard the national security attracts attention world-wide and is also the most sensitive. To seek security and development of the Belt and Road construction and coordinate China’s internal security and international security, and to pioneer a development path of sustainable security is an orientation for conceiving a security strategy. Regarding the domestic research studies on the means to maintain the Belt and Road construction and the national security strategy, there are three main views: Firstly from the security perspective, secondly from the institutional safeguards perspective, thirdly from the power perspective to shape a sound security environment for the Belt and Road construction.

The first view is a consideration based on open economic cooperation. China will open wider to the outside world in the future, the transnational, trans-regional and complicated characters of security may bring about severe challenges to security governance, thus, mutual benefit and win-win outcome must be firmly upheld so as to promote the shaping of a trans-regional governance model.14Wang Xianghui of Strategic Studies of Beihang University believes that the Belt and Road Initiative provides an important strategic way to extricate from a maritime predicament, should take into account both development and security and vigorously build a community of shared interests and a community of shared future. Some other articles also argue for conceptual innovation, with the sustainable security concept, to shape an open network system for common security and development between land-locked countries and coastal countries, and to ensure those participating countries to shake off geo-security predicament. This thinking is to safeguard the Belt and Road construction and China’s national security with the concept to prevent zero-sum game and seek common development.

The second view is to ensure security for the Belt and Road construction institutionally, so as to build a sound and orderly platform for state-to-state interactions, and to strengthen risk management. To build a regional security cooperation mechanism for the Belt and Road Initiative can start with communication mechanism, regular leaders summit, structuring economic community and clearly defined principles and framework for security cooperation.15Following the deepening economic cooperation, it is necessary for the Belt and Road construction to set up security risk assessment, early waning and compatible responding mechanisms, and give full play to the role of strategic pillars such as Central Asia, ASEAN, and Pakistan, etc.16The current research studies focus on security cooperation mechanism and security governance mechanism among the relevant countries concerning certain security agenda, which provides an opportunity for China to contribute strategic thinking to international institutions.17Besides, regarding construction of regional security cooperation mechanism, explorations should be made further on docking a regional security mechanism with a global security mechanism, as well as formal and informal security mechanisms.

The third view is from the power perspective to seek favorable security environment for China’s peaceful rise and the Belt and Road construction. China’s rise and the Belt and Road construction will coexist for a fairly long period of time, a predicament produced by China’s rise may have an impact on the Belt and Road construction, the faster China rises, the greater the international pressure it faces. The advance of the Belt and Road construction may change the previous international interests pattern, global major countries and regional major countries will adopt policies to respond to it. Some domestic studies focus on docking with strategies of other major countries or non-state actors in order to avoid confrontation, such as relevant strategies of South Korea, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, and Mid-East countries, etc. Strategic docking is to shape a sound international security environment for the Belt and Road construction and China’s peaceful development, connecting China with the world. Some American scholars view the Belt and Road Initiative as China’s indirect diplomacy, and economic projects with intensions for security.18The Belt and Road construction is not for counterbalancing the TPP, but shaping a relationship of both cooperation and competition between the two, and within the existing system China will seek national development and enhance China-U.S. cooperation in economic, security, political areas, etc.19

In addition to the above thee views, there are also some domestic scholars proposing some specific means to maintain security on some concrete issues. For example, Associate Professor Li Weihai of Zhengfa University probes into a security model and legal guarantee for the maritime transportation and proposes to coordinate the maritime transportation safety with new-type national security legal concept. These research studies meet with the policy-making requirements and should be further strengthened in the future.

III. Looking forward into the Future Research Work

The Belt and Road construction is based on the national security, the present domestic research studies make some explorations on the challenges the Belt and Road construction and China’s national security encounter and how to respond, but inadequately. The future domestic research studies are proposed to focus on the following aspects:

First, an innovative and systematic planning of China’s national security strategy. The Belt and Road Initiative stresses economic cooperation, and gets integrated into the world economic development with open mentality. It is suggested that the current domestic research studies should be based on security assurance measures, once a relevant region witnesses a chaotic situation, how to ensure China’s economic security and personnel security. Therefore, in planning security for the Belt and Road construction, explorations should be made on how to maintain China’s national security from strategic and systematic perspectives.

Second, the Belt and Road construction and China’s national security safeguards from the overall national security perspective. The Belt and Road Initiative seeks China with the world together to build all-dimensional, multi-level and complex connectivity networks. In the face of a new and complicated security situation for China and the world, the national security safeguards should be guided by the overall national security concept, and explore how to maintain the overall national security and how to maintain the Belt and Road construction and China’s national security in openness and inclusiveness.

Third, carrying out research studies on models to solve specific security issues. Research studies on security is an important aspect of international political research. Following the changing international environment, and in the wake of the Belt and Road construction, new security issues will continuously emerge, and the previous security issues will encounter new environment. In such a situation, research studies on solution model to concrete security issues should be more specifically targeted, draw wisdom and lessons from human history and come up with innovative thinking.

The Belt and Road construction is a long-term and systematic project, preparations should be made to respond to all emerging opportunities and challenges, China’s political, diplomatic, economic resources, etc. should be comprehensively applied to assure the Belt and Road construction and China’s national security, and pursue China’s peaceful development.

1. Zhao Minghao, “Preliminary Observations on Security Assurance for the Belt and Road Construction,”, No.2, 2016, p.26.

2. Zhou Fangyin, “The Risk Challenges Faced by the Belt and Road Construction and How to Respond,”, No.4, 2015, p.66.

3. Zhao Kejin, http://opinion.china.com.cn/opinion_83_131683.html, Interneting date December 10, 2016.

4. http:// news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2-16-09/07/c_129272433.htm, Interneting date December 10, 2016.

5. Ye Xiaowen, “The Belt and Road Construction: Opportunities and Challenges,” Beijing Daily, December 21, 2015.

6. Ding Zhongyi, “Western Frontier Security Governance in the Belt and Road Construction: Opportunities, Challenges and Response,”, No.6, 2016, p121.

7. Chen Dunshan, “Tibetan Active Integration into the Belt and Road Construction is a Necessity for Maintaining National Security,”No.4, 2016, p.34.

8. Ma Lirong, “Assessment on the Impact of Xinjiang Separatists in the Strategic Environment for the Belt and Road Construction,”No.3, 2015, p.109.

9. Ma Dongliang, “The National Paradigm for the Belt and Road Construction and New Opportunities for Regional Development along the Xinjiang Ethnic Regions: Coordinate Progress between National Security and Regional Development,”, No.9, 2016, p.138.

10. Ye Weiping, “The Belt and Road Construction and China’s Economic Security,” Studies on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, No.5, 2015, p38.

11. Zhou Ping, “Geopolitical Risks Faced by the Belt and Road Construction and their Control,”, No.1, 2016, p.85.

12. Zhu Xiongguan, “The National Energy Security in the Belt and Road under Construction,”, No.2, 2015, p.24.

13. Ma Jun, “Risk Management of the Belt and Road under Construction,”, No.4, 2015, p.192.

14. Zhang Liguo, “Regional Coordination and Trans-Regional Governance: Frontier Non-Traditional Security Governance for the Belt and Road under Construction,”, No.4, 2016, p.43.

15. Hu Pingping, “Explorations on Regional Security Mechanism in the Belt and Road Strategy, ”, No.2, 2016, p.231.

16. Xia Zijun, “Explorations on Practicing National Security Strategy in the Belt and Road Construction,”, No.2, 2016, p.12

17. Wang Mingguo, “The International Institutional Foundation for the Belt and Road Initiative,”, No.6, 2015, p.81.

18. Qiu Huafei, “The Belt and Road Initiative in the Views of American Scholars,”, No.6, 2015, p.49.

19.Xiu Li, “The U.S. Rebalancing Strategy and China’s Belt and Road Initiative ,”, No.5, 2016, p.70.