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    OPINION                                                                  JUNE 12, 2026     |  The Indian Eye 11

            na’s  MCF  strategy  is  closely  linked
            to the country’s objectives of build-
            ing  a  strong  economy  and  military
            under  Xi  Jinping’s  regime.  It  aims
            to dismantle China’s traditional de-
            velopment  paradigm  in  which  the
            military and civilian sectors operate
            as self-contained, insular and highly
            monopolistic entities.
                National Strategic Integration
            is said to incorporate MCF’s devel-
            opment strategy to achieve key long-
            term  goals.  Various  terminologies
            and forms of National Strategic In-
            tegration  have  been  used  by  China
            since 2016. For the first time, Xi Jin-
            ping used the term “Integrated Na-
            tional Strategic System” at the head-
            quarters of the former PLA Strategic
            Support  Force  in  August  2016.  Xi
            Jinping  repeated  this  terminology
            at the 19th National Congress of the
            CPC  in  October  2017.  However,  it
            remained  obscure  until  he  re-em-
            phasised its significance at the 20th
            National Congress of the CPC in Oc-
            tober 2022. The 20th Party Congress          Building an integrated strategic system means a system free of institutional impediments and barriers (File Photo)
            emphasised strengthening the coor-
            dinated  strategic  planning  between   ity integration and sharing networks.   objectives of building strategic capa-  CONCLUSION
            the military and civilian sectors, en-  By integrating heterogeneous   bilities in their respective domains.
            suring the alignment of policies and   resources and capabilities across di-  The ‘national security strategic   hina’s  objective  behind  the
            institutions, and facilitating the shar-  verse  domains  such  as  the  military,   system’  encompasses  domains  such   ‘National Strategic Integra-
            ing of resources and factors.     government,  economy,  science  and   as politics, military affairs, territorial  Ction’  is  to  build  long-term,
                At  the  14th  National  People’s   technology, and society, it constructs   integrity,  economy,  culture,  society,   sustained  strategic  capabilities  to
            Congress in March 2023, Xi Jinping   a  complex  architectural  framework   science and technology, cyberspace,   support the CPC in achieving its goal
            changed  this  term  to  “Integrated   featuring  vertical  and  horizontal   ecology,  natural  resources,  nuclear   of a prosperous country and a strong
            National  Strategic  System  and  Ca-  linkages  and  multi-layered  nesting,   security,  overseas  interests,  outer   army  by  2049.  The  system  aims  to
            pabilities”. In his speech at the 14th   forming a dynamic network that en-  space,  deep  sea,  polar  region,  bios-  effectively optimise all resources, ef-
            NPC meeting, Xi Jinping said: “con-  compasses the entire national strate-  ecurity, data security, artificial intel-  forts and forces to get the best results
            solidating  and  enhancing  the  inte-  gic landscape. The boundaries of this   ligence,  finance,  and  food  security.   and outputs for the national economy
            grated national strategic system and   mega-system  are  characterised  by   The ‘national development strategic   and  national  defence  and  security.
            capabilities constitutes a strategic de-  their inherent fluidity and extensibil-  system’  meanwhile  comprises  ma-  The  idea  is  to  create  more  wealth
            ployment made by the CPC Central   ity, and its structural design endows   jor  strategies  at  the  national  devel-  and influence and to secure interests
            Committee  in  response  to  the  new   it with significant capabilities for dy-  opment  level,  strategies  aimed  at   in a relatively short time, with a high
            circumstance, new tasks, and new re-  namic adaptation and expansion. Its   strengthening  specific  sectors,  and   guarantee of security both within the
            quirements facing the endeavour to   fundamental  objective  is  to  achieve   regional  development  strategies.  It   country  and  abroad.  However,  the
            build a strong country and a strong   the  optimal  allocation  of  resources   will  integrate  national  defence  and   system will be highly centralised with
            military,  and  with  a  view  to  better   across  all  domains  and  to  realise  a   military  development  within  the   a strict top-down hierarchy.
            coordinating development and secu-  non-linear enhancement of national   broader  framework  of  economic
            rity, as well as coordinating econom-  strategic capabilities.      and social development. These stra-  Dr. Abhishek Kumar Darbey studies
            ic construction and national defence   The National Strategic Integra-  tegic  capabilities  are  indispensable   China Military that covers significant
            construction.”                    tion  was  pursued  during  the  14th   for new tasks under new conditions,   activities of China’s Armed Forces, and
                The integrated national strategic   Five-Year  Plan  (2020–2025),  and  it   including some of Xi Jinping’s pro-  China’s defence & security issues in
            system  and  capabilities  constitute  a   will  be  carried  forward  in  the  15th   posed goals, such as building a mod-  foreign and domestic affairs for more
            higher-tier,  cross-domain  macro-sys-  Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). It com-  ern socialist country, the great reju-  than a decade. His research interests
            tem, specifically encompassing two dis-  prises layers such as national, global,   venation of the Chinese nation, and   also include China-Africa relations
            tinct components: the “integrated na-  and  regional  strategies,  and  centres   transforming the PLA into a world-  and the Chinese language, literature,
            tional strategic system”, characterised   on  the  principle  of  ‘integration’,   class military force by 2049.  history and culture.
            by cross-domain top-level strategic de-  orchestrating  strategic  planning,   Building an integrated strategic   Views expressed are of the author and
            sign and “integrated national strategic   resource  allocation,  and  national   system means a system free of insti-  do not necessarily reflect the views of
            capabilities”,  characterised  by  a  net-  defence and security capabilities. Ca-  tutional  impediments  and  barriers.   the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
            work of deep, cross-system integration.   pability building will be in two areas:   The  integrated  national  strategic   Government of India.
            This mega-system spans multiple lay-  economic development and national   capabilities encompass not only the
            ers  including  strategic  decision-mak-  defence  and  security.  The  integrat-  capacity  to  maintain  static  resource   This article first appeared in the
            ing    coordination   mechanisms,   ed national strategic system will en-  reserves but also the dynamic capac-  Comments section of the website (www.
            multi-dimensional  resource  alloca-  compass  ‘national  security  strategic   ity to transform those resources into   idsa.in) of Manohar Parrikar Institute
            tion  systems,  institutional  and  policy   system’  and  ‘national  development   tangible outcomes that fulfil national   for Defense Studies and Analyses, New
            alignment  frameworks,  and  capabil-  strategic system’ with the ultimate   strategic objectives.           Delhi, on June 4, 2026

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