China's National Security Document Released: Mutual Relation of Security and Development in the White Paper / What Message Does China's White Paper Hold for Iran? / Tehran–Beijing Shift from 'Resilience' to 'Development'
Emphasis is placed on the need to steer Tehran–Beijing relations toward a 'development-oriented' rather than a 'resilience-oriented' approach, especially after the military aggression of the United States and the Israeli regime against our country. The global order is clearly being reshaped, and the voices of emerging powers and the Global South are resonating ever more strongly. Careful study of this document is recommended for researchers, policymakers, diplomats, and anyone interested in ...
Forozan Asif Nakhai: Mao's Red Book, which was considered the ideological guide of Chinese society, was a collection of Mao Zedong's teachings compiled as a guide for the Chinese nation. This book was compiled in five main axes, including the supremacy of will and ideology, people's war and class struggle, mass policy, people's democratic dictatorship, struggle against imperialism and distortionism. Now, instead of the Red Book, Xi Jinping has published the White Book. This book is the first Chinese book in the field of China's national security. At the same time, this book, which was published in May 1404, is very surprising that it did not have much media coverage.
Hamed Vafaei, a member of Tehran University's academic staff, has published China's White Book, which is Beijing's strategic manifesto in the field of security policy in the domestic and foreign environment, and expressed his views on it.
In terms of faithfulness to the official document "China's National Security in the New Era" (published in May 1404), it is considered to be Beijing's first comprehensive white book in explaining the "holistic view of national security". He emphasizes that the text of the white paper states that the Chinese model has gone beyond the strict military framework and introduces it as a systematic, general matter and in an organic link with development; An approach that considers "people's security" as the ultimate goal, "political security and maintaining the leadership of the Communist Party" as the fundamental task, and "economic development and technological independence" as a necessary condition for stability.
Contrasting this doctrine with the Western security discourse (based on deterrence and blockade), the author explains that Beijing's "common security" proposal presents an alternative narrative in the international order that has a familiar resonance for countries like Iran. However, the text emphasizes the need for a "realistic reading without illusions"; Because China pursues its vital interests first. Finally, referring to the conditions after the US and Israel's military aggression against Iran, the author concludes that Tehran should improve its relations with China from the level of "crisis management and resilience" to "development-oriented and positive" planning by learning from Beijing's institutional and technological doctrine.
Hamed Vafaei, a member of the academic staff of Tehran University, writes in the introduction of the text translated into Farsi of China's national security document as Beijing's strategic manifesto in the field of security policy in the domestic and foreign environment: "The world today is at a turning point, the coordinates of which have not only changed the balance of traditional powers, but also the classic concept of "national security" from the narrow frameworks of military and The land has gone beyond tradition. The publication of the official document "China's National Security in the New Era" by the Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China in May 1404 cannot be seen as merely issuing a propaganda statement, rather this document can be considered a systematic and profound statement of theory. It described Beijing's understanding of security at a time when "global, contemporary and historical changes" have been taking place at an unprecedented speed.
The main focus of China's white paper: a holistic view of national security
Hamed Vafaei: "This document is China's first comprehensive white paper in the field of national security, the focus of which is a "holistic view of national security"; An attitude that has become the main guide of China's security policy since 2014, and today it is an inseparable part of the framework of Chinese socialism in the new era of Xi Jinping. In other words, the following text and its attached documents should be used as an operational umbrella for China's domestic and foreign policy and frameworks such as Xi Jinping's four-pronged initiatives and the strategic approaches of the Chinese Communist Party in the domestic space of this country and its foreign policy. Let's evaluate."
Three fundamental principles in China's White Paper
"Looking at the engineering of this document, it can be concluded that in the center of the mentioned attitude, the three fundamental principles of people's security as the ultimate goal, political security as a fundamental duty, and the issue of national interests as a strategic criterion are placed. In this space, security is not only an absolute and military-oriented category, but a "general, systematic and relative" thing, which includes political, economic, military, technological, cultural, social, cyber, biological, spatial, polar and even resource fields. It also includes the country.
In this official document, China emphasizes that security and development are two sides of the same coin: "In development we strengthen security and in security we pursue development" and ironically, the direct alignment of the two issues of security and development in China's foreign policy These days, a close connection with the developments in West Asia is also linked to this issue; This link is a reflection of a part of the historical experience of China and Syria, that this country has passed from the space of absolute poverty to the coordinates of a global economic power and at the same time has preserved its long-term political and social stability and is referred to as two "miracles" in this text. It is explicitly stated."
The importance of the national security document for Iran
"Considering the increasing importance of China's position not only in global equations, but also in the current developments in West Asia and the Persian Gulf, it should be clarified that the importance of this document is beyond China's borders; First of all, this document presents an alternative narrative against the Western security discourse, which often defines security with categories such as "military deterrence", "exclusive coalitions" and "threats from others" and the state of Chinese thinking. According to the "global security initiative", it has emphasized concepts such as common security, opposition to the Cold War mentality, unilateralism, and bloc policies, and it is not a power to demand revisions in the international system, which is a country that protects and strengthens the international system based on It introduces the United Nations Charter.
"This issue will have a familiar and meaningful resonance for systems like the Islamic Republic of Iran, which have been facing sanctions, security threats, and foreign efforts to limit the foundations of their national sovereignty for decades."
The importance of the document's emphasis on independence and self-reliance
"Another reason for the importance of this text is its special emphasis on independence and self-reliance in strategic areas, especially technology, supply chains, and emerging areas, which coincide with Iran's experiences in resisting the sanctions of a The side finds alignment."
"With this view, China considers security not only as a tool to coerce others, but also as a shield for national progress and at the same time as a platform for international cooperation. This approach provides new opportunities for deepening Tehran-Beijing cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, institutions such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and of course multilateral security initiatives, including Xi Jinping's two recent initiatives for a new security architecture in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. provides; "Cooperations that can go beyond the economic level and expand to security, technological and areas such as global governance."
The first priority of China's national security document
However, there is no doubt that the Iranian reading of this document should not be simplistic and as a conventional reading. China is a great power that clearly defines and defends its national interests, including the issue of Taiwan, territorial integrity and maritime rights. The general attitude of national security in the Chinese eyes, while the development and welfare of the people of this country is the main focus, it gives absolute priority to the maintenance of the political system and the leadership of the Communist Party. This combination of development, control and global outlook requires a precise analysis and presentation of an evaluation without illusions.
China's lesson for Iran: sustainable security linked to the global system
"In this framework, it should be noted that China's experience shows that sustainable security is not possible without institutional capacity-building, technological innovation, and an intelligent link with the global economy; A lesson that seems to be very valuable for rethinking the concepts of Iran's national security in frameworks such as resistance economy and areas far beyond traditional defense and with an agile movement towards comprehensive and development-oriented security frameworks.
The movement of Iran and China from "resilience-oriented" to "development-oriented"
The emphasis of the author of this pen on the necessity of guiding Tehran-Beijing relations to a "development-oriented" environment instead of "resilience-oriented" environment, especially in the conditions after the military aggression of the United States and the Israeli regime to our country, is from this point. The Farsi translation of this document was done by the Center for China Studies, House of Andisheh Varzan, at a time when the world order is clearly being rearranged, and the voice of the emerging powers of the global south has resounded more than before. The careful study of this document has provided researchers, policy makers, diplomats and those interested in Chinese studies in Iran, in addition to the opportunity to directly examine the Chinese view of one of the most important internal and external categories of this country, which provides a precise framework for a critical dialogue with It provides one of the most important non-western security narratives of the modern era. It is hoped that the translation and publication of this strategic document will be a step towards deepening mutual understanding and strengthening the theoretical foundations of strategic cooperation between Iran and China."
The author or authors of China's white book as a national security document have provided a detailed explanation of Beijing's comprehensive security doctrine in the introduction to China's first national security white book. They talk about "counting the miracle of stability" to "rejecting the coercive measures of the West" and dissecting the security modernization framework in the era of Xi Jinping, and have explained the transition from historical colonialism to comprehensive hegemony. They are also trying to turn "development-oriented security" into a model for the global south. Finally, the introduction of the book is a management excerpt from China's national security strategic document, which explains the evolution of security in this country from the period of "revival after the opium war" to "the new era of Xi Jinping". The central thesis of the text is based on the concept of "comprehensive approach to national security", in which security is not considered a single military goal, but the main foundation of sustainable development, economic opening, and maintaining political stability. Relying on the historical experience of the Chinese Communist Party in curbing hegemonic threats, the text presents achievements such as social stability, territorial integrity (the return of Hong Kong and Macau), and the realization of the "double miracle of economic growth and security" as a support for the legitimacy of this doctrine. From a strategic point of view, this doctrine turns Beijing from a passive power into a builder of order: a security that is "people-oriented in its goal, policy-oriented in its foundation, and interest-oriented in its criteria." By explicitly rejecting "imperialism, unilateralism and the extreme expansion of Western security concepts", the text emphasizes on strategic independence, the rule of law and reliance on domestic power. Finally, by publishing this official document, China formulates its domestic security model as a positive narrative to achieve a "society with a shared destiny" in the international arena. The full text of the introduction of "China's White Paper" is as follows:
"National security is the highest priority of the country. The Chinese nation has continuously strived for peace and stability for five thousand years. Since the opium war, the Chinese people rose up to resist and fight to save the country from dangers. Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has undertaken the historic mission of realizing the revival of the Chinese nation. This party united and led the Chinese people and led them through 28 years of difficult struggle to establish the People's Republic of China; An action that brought national independence and liberation to the people."
"After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese people, under the leadership of the Party, have successfully built the path of national security with Chinese characteristics through their own efforts. China has stood against the aggressions, subversive measures and military provocations of imperialism and hegemony and has protected the national sovereignty and democratic system of the people. With firm determination, China has advanced the process of realizing the complete unity of the country, promoted the transition of cross-strait relations from isolation to interaction, and has achieved the successful return of Hong Kong and Macao.
"China has correctly managed the relationship between reform, development and stability and has achieved two "miracles" namely rapid economic development and long-term social stability. China has adhered to the path of peaceful development and has provided a favorable security environment for reform, opening up and modernization. Entering the new era, the Central Committee of the Party, centered on Xi Jinping, proposed a comprehensive approach to national security in a creative way, established the National Security Commission, comprehensively deepened reforms in the framework of national security, and accelerated the process of modernizing the national security system and capacities; As a result, national security was comprehensively strengthened."
"China remained firm on its positions in fundamental issues, engaged in a great struggle with new historical characteristics, and stood against political, economic, ideological and natural dangers and challenges. China's national security activities have achieved historical achievements and historical developments and provided a strong security guarantee for building a relatively prosperous society and the beginning of a new path for building a modern socialist country. China's national security in the new era is comprehensive, systematic and relative. This type of security makes people's security its goal, political security its foundation, and national interests its criterion. This security is at the service of quality development and promotes it, and it is dynamically adjusted according to economic and social developments.
"Also, it supports the further expansion of opening at a high level and operates in a systematic and standardized manner within the framework of the rule of law. China aligns its security with common security, opposes the extreme expansion of security concepts, rejects coercive security measures and threats, and adheres to independence, self-reliance and self-reliance. China bases its approach to solving security issues on its capabilities and remains committed to the path of national security with Chinese characteristics. National security is an important foundation for the sustainable development and long-term modernization of China. The Chinese government publishes this document in order to comprehensively explain the innovative concepts, dynamic practical measures and outstanding achievements of China's national security activities in the new era, share its experiences and approaches, jointly promote peace and development with other countries, and play a role in building a society with a shared destiny for humanity.