China must rethink emphasis on 'national security'

 Heightened focus on this area hurts economic and cultural exchanges

China's unique thinking about comprehensive national security was on full display throughout the recently concluded National People's Congress (NPC). The current government, headed by President Xi Jinping, overemphasizes concepts that are vague in scope, which inhibits normal economic and other interactions with the outside world. Beijing should urgently rethink its excessive emphasis on security, which is hurting its own economy.

This also applies to traditional security areas. China's annual defense budget for 2024 is 7.2% higher than last year, well above the government's economic growth target of around 5% and topping 7% for the third straight year.

Prioritizing a military expansion at a time when the economy is weak and people are struggling raises a lot of questions. And given that all of this is happening while Beijing continues to hint at the possibility of uniting with Taiwan through force, it is understandable that there are strong concerns that the buildup is part of efforts to change the status quo in the Asia-Pacific region.

China's excessive emphasis on security also hinders normal political and economic exchanges with other countries, as well as hurting academic and cultural personnel exchanges. Take, for example, the detention and arrest in China of a senior executive of Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma on suspicion of violating an anti-spying law. There have been no detailed explanations of why the individual was arrested, nor is there any indication the case will be resolved. Because of incidents like these, many Japanese are hesitant to travel to China for business, and the number of students studying Chinese is declining in Japan.

The impact on Hong Kong, a key entry point for foreign capital going into mainland China, is also significant. While the Hong Kong national security law is already in force, deliberations have begun on new national security legislation that has met with strong local opposition.

The updated legislation prohibits the theft of state secrets, espionage, and interference in Hong Kong by foreign powers, raising major concerns that Beijing will further tighten its grip on society. Foreign investment in China has already plunged, and tighter restrictions on the territory could accelerate this trend.

The heightened emphasis on security was also visible in the lack of discussions about sensitive issues at the NPC. Up until last year, Beijing had explained that the limited sessions and shorter discussion times at the NPC were meant to combat the spread of COVID-19 infections. But even though those restrictions have largely been lifted, the NPC did not return to its previous format this year.

At the end of the 20th century, the NPC lasted about two weeks, allowing enough time for multifaceted discussions. Now, the gathering is only about half that long. Furthermore, the traditional post-session press conference given by the premier was scrapped this year and beyond. This is a significant step backward in terms of keeping both the domestic public and outside world informed on important matters.

Nikkei Asia