Xi Jinping to lead national security commission

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping will head the national security commission, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee decided on Friday.

Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang will be deputy head of the commission, according to a decision adopted at a political bureau meeting.

The commission, which will answer to the Political Bureau and its standing committee, will be the CPC Central Committee agency responsible for decision-making, deliberation and coordination on national security work, the document said.

It will be in charge of "making overall plans and coordinating major issues and major work concerning national security," it said.

A decision made at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee last November first came up with the idea of establishing a national security commission.

In an explanation of the proposed commission's main responsibilities made public after the session, Xi said, "Establishing a national security commission to strengthen the unified leadership of state security work is an urgent need."

The responsibilities of the commission will include construction of the rule of law system concerning state security, research, resolving major issues of national security, setting principles and policies, as well as stipulating and implementing strategies, according to the explanation.

"State security and social stability are preconditions for reform and development," said Xi in the explanation, adding that only when the nation is safe and society is stable can reform and development constantly advance.

Risks both predictable and unpredictable have been increasing remarkably, and the system has not yet met the needs of safeguarding state security. A powerful platform which can coordinate security work is needed, he added.

Experts said the commission is expected to design a top-level strategy which will improve the efficiency of dealing with severe emergencies that concern state security and interests.