CRN: State Security Committee Reflects Chinese Political System Reform

The commentary stated that the establishment of the new State Security Committee represents a significant deviation from the Chinese political system. There is a common misunderstanding among China scholars about the Chinese political system. They look at the People’s Congress, but fail to understand that the People’s Congress is the highest political authority under the leadership of the Communist Party. Because of this misunderstanding, they tend to recommend that any decisions that the Communist Party makes should go through the existing political system to implement its agenda. “That is not true. … The Chinese Communist Party is not independent of the State apparatus; it is an important part of the State authority. In other words, the Chinese Communist Party is the core of the State apparatus as well as the leadership of the State authority.“ Without understanding this, one can hardly understand the role that the Communist Party plays in China’s political affairs. 

The commentary observed that the establishment of the State Security Committee not only enables the Chinese Communist Party General Secretary to lead the State apparatus directly; it also resolved the issue of coordination among State departments. 

 “The establishment of the State Security Committee marks a major change taking place in the Chinese constitutional system. The Chinese Communist Party’s leadership over State power will be further strengthened, the country’s political structure will be more perfect, and China’s President will change from a figurehead of the State to the country’s highest decision-maker.”