China’s big new infrastructure plan prioritises national security in face of ‘extreme conditions’ at home, abroad
- China is once again looking to infrastructure to boost its slowing economy, but ‘development and security must be well coordinated’
- Commission chaired by President Xi stresses need to enhance critically important technological infrastructure, including supercomputing and artificial intelligence
National security is front and centre in China’s vast new economy-boosting infrastructure investment plan that analysts say is motivated in large part by a rapid deterioration in domestic conditions and the overseas environment.
“We must strengthen the construction of national-security-related infrastructure to improve our capacity to deal with extreme conditions,” said the transcript of the meeting of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, which President Xi Jinping presided over on Tuesday.
This preceded a Politburo meeting that is expected to be held in the coming days to lay out priorities in an effort to tackle risks stemming from coronavirus lockdowns and geopolitical tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While acknowledging that the nation’s existing infrastructure does not sufficiently meet demand, the commission called for an appropriate front-loading of construction and financing support.
