Jinping reportedly said that China has to maximize its "national strategic capabilities" in an effort to "systematically upgrade the country's overall strength to cope with strategic risks, safeguard strategic interests and realize strategic objectives."
However, Jinping does not appear to have an interest only in military weaponry, but to exercise self-reliance in the fields of science and technology, including optimizing capabilities in emergency fields, improve industrial supply chains, and produce national reserves "more capable of safeguarding national security."
These lofty goals are congruent with Jinping's "Made in China 2025" campaign, the aim of which is to be superior in 10 key fields, which, according to the 2015 release of this plan, is primarily concerned with "electric cars and other new energy vehicles, next-generation information technology (IT) and telecommunications, and advanced robotics and artificial intelligence," according to Council on Foreign Relations.
Foreign Minister Qin Gang warned on Tuesday that the US-China relations could take a sudden downturn.
"If the United States does not hit the brake, but continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing and there surely will be conflict and confrontation," Qin said.
He continued: "Such competition is a reckless gamble, with the stakes being the fundamental interests of the two peoples and even the future of humanity."
Qin's statements fall in line with JinPing's comments made to delegates about China's discontent with the US restricting access to technology and its support for Taiwan.
“Western countries led by the United States have implemented all-round containment, encirclement and suppression of China, which has brought unprecedented grave challenges to our nation’s development,” Jinping said, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Ned Price, spokesperson for the State Department, noted that Washington does not have any intention of suppressing China, but that the US wishes to "coexist responsibly" inside a global trade and political system, according to the report.
“This is not about containing China. This is not about suppressing China. This is not about holding China back,” Price said. “We want to have that constructive competition that is fair," that “doesn’t veer into that conflict.”
However, Gen. Laura J. Richardson, Commander of the US Southern Command, testified in front of the House Armed Services Committee that Russia and China were "malign actors" that are "aggressively exerting influence over our democratic neighbors."
Richardson went on to say that China "is spreading its malign influence, wielding its economic might, and conducting gray zone activities to expand its military and political access and influence."
"This is a strategic risk that we can't accept or ignore."
Disputes between China and democratically run Taiwan have been elevating, with China using their military to pressure Taiwan into accepting Chinese sovereignty. Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng has said that his country will not engage in miltiary action without first attempting a "peaceful and rational approach," according to Reuters.
There are other Western powers who feel that China is exercising too much influence.
In a recent report, Germany stated that they intend to ban China's Huawei and ZTE technology parts from their 5G networks.
"This is a sign that the German government may finally be taking China-related risks to national security seriously," Noah Barkin, managing editor of Rhodium Group, said. "But after years of dithering, the German 5G network is deeply dependent on Chinese suppliers. It will take many years to unwind this."
Britain and Sweden have already banned the use of China's Huawei and ZTE technology in their respective countries.
