Head of China's NDRC: Must Enhance National Economic Security Safeguard Capabilities
Zheng Shanjie, head of China's NDRC, wrote in the People's Daily that China faces complex internal and external risks. He stressed the need to strengthen economic security, achieve tech self-reliance, and build mechanisms against foreign sanctions.
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- 📰 Published: April 20, 2026 at 12:50
- 🔍 Collected: April 20, 2026 at 13:00 (10 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 13:29 (29 min after Collected)
The Chinese Communist Party media outlet People's Daily published an article today on its 11th page by Zheng Shanjie, Director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), titled "Continuously Enhance the Capacity to Safeguard National Economic Security, and Secure the New Development Pattern with a New Security Pattern." The article states that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, China's development will enter a phase where strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, and uncertain and unpredictable factors will increase.
Zheng Shanjie stated that internationally, unstable and uncertain factors in the external environment are growing. He noted the rise of unilateralism and protectionism, an increase in threats from hegemonism and power politics, and pointed out that certain countries are abusing tariff measures, building walls, and decoupling and breaking chains. Economic globalization is encountering a countercurrent, and international economic and trade rules and orders are facing severe challenges.
He continued that mining policies in resource-rich countries are tending to tighten, and competition for energy and critical minerals is becoming more intense. The recent disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has highlighted the vulnerability of global industrial and supply chains as well as transportation corridors.
Domestically, Zheng Shanjie believes that access to technology in some critical fields is restricted, and "chokepoint" risks still exist in important links such as core components, key basic materials, and high-end equipment. There is significant pressure on employment and resident income growth, and the tasks of preventing and defusing risks related to real estate, local government debt, and small and medium-sized financial institutions are arduous.
He stated there are four points to comprehensively advance the building of economic security safeguard capabilities: solidly managing domestic affairs based on national economic security, enhancing economic security resilience and the ability to withstand shocks, perfecting the economic security risk prevention and control system, and strengthening security governance in emerging fields.
He emphasized the need to accelerate high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, strengthen original innovation and critical core technology breakthroughs, and promote decisive breakthroughs in key core technologies across the entire chain in priority areas such as integrated circuits, industrial machine tools, high-end instruments, basic software, advanced materials, and biomanufacturing. He called for improving the ability to prevent and defuse risks in key areas, comprehensively promoting the orderly resolution of risks in real estate, local government debt, and small and medium-sized financial institutions, and promoting the healthy development of the platform economy.
Finally, Zheng Shanjie said it is necessary to perfect mechanisms for countering sanctions, interference, and "long-arm jurisdiction" to prevent and strike back against extreme external containment and suppression of China. He also urged strengthening trade risk prevention and control, perfecting export control and security review mechanisms, and protecting the investment rights and interests of foreign businesses in accordance with the law. (Editor: Chen Kai-yu) 1150420
Zheng Shanjie stated that internationally, unstable and uncertain factors in the external environment are growing. He noted the rise of unilateralism and protectionism, an increase in threats from hegemonism and power politics, and pointed out that certain countries are abusing tariff measures, building walls, and decoupling and breaking chains. Economic globalization is encountering a countercurrent, and international economic and trade rules and orders are facing severe challenges.
He continued that mining policies in resource-rich countries are tending to tighten, and competition for energy and critical minerals is becoming more intense. The recent disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has highlighted the vulnerability of global industrial and supply chains as well as transportation corridors.
Domestically, Zheng Shanjie believes that access to technology in some critical fields is restricted, and "chokepoint" risks still exist in important links such as core components, key basic materials, and high-end equipment. There is significant pressure on employment and resident income growth, and the tasks of preventing and defusing risks related to real estate, local government debt, and small and medium-sized financial institutions are arduous.
He stated there are four points to comprehensively advance the building of economic security safeguard capabilities: solidly managing domestic affairs based on national economic security, enhancing economic security resilience and the ability to withstand shocks, perfecting the economic security risk prevention and control system, and strengthening security governance in emerging fields.
He emphasized the need to accelerate high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, strengthen original innovation and critical core technology breakthroughs, and promote decisive breakthroughs in key core technologies across the entire chain in priority areas such as integrated circuits, industrial machine tools, high-end instruments, basic software, advanced materials, and biomanufacturing. He called for improving the ability to prevent and defuse risks in key areas, comprehensively promoting the orderly resolution of risks in real estate, local government debt, and small and medium-sized financial institutions, and promoting the healthy development of the platform economy.
Finally, Zheng Shanjie said it is necessary to perfect mechanisms for countering sanctions, interference, and "long-arm jurisdiction" to prevent and strike back against extreme external containment and suppression of China. He also urged strengthening trade risk prevention and control, perfecting export control and security review mechanisms, and protecting the investment rights and interests of foreign businesses in accordance with the law. (Editor: Chen Kai-yu) 1150420