China has to realize comprehensive institutional modernization to expedite development on one hand and shore up national security on the other. The plenum's decision to form a central leading team for "comprehensively deepening reform" and to set up a State security committee is, therefore, an institutional breakthrough that will help the CPC establish foolproof coordination among different sectors to deepen reform in an all-round way and improve national security system and strategy.

But national security is no longer restricted to traditional concerns of national defense and military; it also includes the challenges that have emerged in the age of globalization such as economic and financial security, science and technology, ecology and the environment.

At this critical moment of China's peaceful rise, the CPC shoulders the historical responsibility of pooling the wisdom of the cross section of society, cementing consensus and materializing actions, which calls for a top-level design of national institution to effectively implement the national security strategy and optimize national resources. This is essential to let the rest of the world know that along with its own interests China also pursues the common interests of the human race.

National security can be broadly divided into domestic and international security, which are closely interwoven and can either contain or consolidate each other. If domestic stability helps maintain a country's security in the international environment, a favorable external environment helps facilitate its internal construction. Hence, the establishment of a State security committee provides institutional guarantee for the sound development of China's internal and external environments. Needless to say, the committee will play a key role in improving China's national security and strategy, and optimizing the allocation of resources for the purpose.

In fact, remarkable progress has been made in terms of institutional development since the founding of New China thanks to the establishment of an effective political system. China is advancing its modernization drive at a speed far beyond expectation.

On the economic front, China has already reached a development level which was supposed to be accomplished only by 2030, as estimated 10 years ago. Perhaps we can say that China will reach a development level by 2020 which many expected it to achieve only by 2040. Likewise, China is likely to reach an advanced development level by 2030, a level that it was expected to reach only by 2050.

The rapid development and bright prospect require China to accelerate its efforts for institutional building and strategic coherence, especially for the upgrade of the national security system and strategy. Based on the framework of the Security committee, authorities in charge of the country's national security should properly coordinate efforts in policymaking and implementation to give full play to their strategic wisdom.

China has been constantly consolidating its strategy and improving its governance. At this critical moment of modernization, China needs a grand security layout and institutional coordination among those in charge of its national security system. China's development resources are abundant overall but inadequate when on the per capita level. That is why we need to optimize the allocation of resources and make safeguarding national security our top priority. This is the legacy of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, which will continue to demonstrate its historical significance in the years to come.

The author is a professor and director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai.

(China Daily 11/26/2013 page9)