Beijing: China's ruling Communist Party on Friday warned that the world's second largest economy is facing "unprecedented and unpredictable" security risks and asked people to remain alert amid growing political and economic challenges.
Some of the security challenges and risks are unpredictable so the country must always be mindful of potential dangers, said a statement issued after a meeting of the 25-member Politburo presided over by party leader and President Xi Jinping and adopted a guideline on China's national security strategy.
When explaining the strategy, the statement said China will protect its security in "a pattern with Chinese characteristics," state-run Xinhua news agency reported without specifying the nature of the risks.
China will firmly protect its core and important interests, with people's safety as the main mission, and safeguard national security through reform and economic development, it said.
The unprecedented warning comes in the midst of worsening situation in Xinjiang where China has beefed up security with the deployment of largest number of troops along its border to prevent infiltration of Muslim Uygur militants in the backdrop of US troops leaving Afghanistan.
The province bordering Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Afghanistan is witnessing violent attacks by the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) which also carried out major terrorist strikes in Beijing and other cities.
Also China is in the midst of an unprecedented anti- corruption campaign initiated by Xi in which thousands of party officials as well as military officials at various levels are facing investigations.
Prominent among them were former Standing Committee member and national security chief, Zhou Yongkang besides Ling Jihua, close aide of former President Hu Jintao and former top military commander Xu Caihou and scores of others.
In view of the massive crackdown, speculation is rife about a possible backlash by the faction close to those officials within the party against Xi who has emerged as the strongest Chinese leader in recent times.
The party has in the past weeks issued severe warnings against formation of factions and cliques within the organisation.
