BEIJING — Xi Jinping on Oct 16 stressed modernizing China's national security system and capacity and safeguarding national security and social stability.

"National security is the bedrock of national rejuvenation, and social stability is a prerequisite for building a strong and prosperous China," said Xi at the opening session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

"We must resolutely pursue a holistic approach to national security and promote national security in all areas and stages of the work of the Party and the country, so as to ensure national security and social stability," he said.

Xi said the CPC must take the people's security as its ultimate goal, political security as its fundamental task, economic security as its foundation, military, technological, cultural, and social security as important pillars, and international security as a support.

The Party will take coordinated steps to ensure external and internal security, homeland and public security, traditional and non-traditional security, as well as its own security and common security. "We will both uphold national security and create the conditions for ensuring it," he said.

China will strengthen popular support for national security and social stability, improve the mechanisms for the country's participation in global security governance, and advance the Peaceful China Initiative to a higher level, Xi said.

"With this new security architecture, we will be able to better safeguard China's new pattern of development," he said.

Xi said the CPC will improve the national security system, strengthen its capacity for safeguarding national security, enhance public safety governance, and improve the social governance system.

China will ensure the security of food, energy, and resources as well as key industrial and supply chains, and protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens and legal entities overseas, he said.

Protection of personal information will be strengthened, Xi said.

"We will improve the social governance system based on collaboration, participation, and shared benefits, so as to make social governance more effective," he said.