Seminar highlights the significance of national security education

Experts and publishers have called for more emphasis on strengthening national security education around the nation to help the country's economic and social development.

The call came at the Seminar on Discipline Construction and Nationwide Education of National Security, co-hosted by the University of International Relations and People's Publishing House, on Sunday.

About 30 people, including officials from the Ministry of State Security and Beijing municipal government, and scholars on national security attended the seminar, prompting a heated discussion on the situation of discipline construction and education of national security, as well as a new understanding and ways of enhancing national security education.

"The concept of national security has undergone significant changes in recent years, shifting from focusing on confidentiality and counter-espionage activities to including non-traditional security factors, for instance, information and energy security," Liu Yuejin, a professor at the University of International Relations, emphasized.

Attendees agreed on the importance to further strengthen national security education, with officials from the Beijing Municipal Education Commission pointing out that students' development, thus the nation's future to a certain extent, is grounded in national security.

Only dozens of years ago, national security mainly concerned the government, the army and soldiers, while threats to national security mainly consisted of war and civil strife, Li Song, deputy editor-in-chief of People's Oriental Publishing and Media, noted.

Now of equal importance to economic and social development, national security deserves nationwide concern, especially to youth who are the driving force to bring about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Li said.

Also during the seminar, a book series, National Security Education, the first textbook on national security in China, was officially launched. Dedicated to primary and middle school students and university undergraduates, the series aims to help improve awareness among the young to safeguard national security and cultivate talents specializing in national security.

Several provinces, including Northwest China's Gansu and Shaanxi, have reached agreements with the People's Publishing House to use and promote the book series in students' national security education, according to Li.

Liu, who also is editor-in-chief of the new book series, stressed that in the past ensuring one country's national security might indicate threats, even damage, to other countries' security, while the holistic approach toward national security proposed by President Xi Jinping underlines common security, namely security for all countries.

The series will help students gain a comprehensive understanding of the holistic approach toward national security, which is more inclusive and scientific compared to the traditional concept of national security, he said.