The term was first coined by the
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2003 in a discussion of
Taiwanese independence. The term's definition was expanded to include
Tibet and
Xinjiang in 2006. In July 2009, CCP's
Central Foreign Affairs Leading Group Office Director
Dai Bingguo gave remarks at the
U.S.–China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, expanding the definition to define the primary goals that determine the country's foreign policy choices. The core interests are: maintaining the power of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing China's social and economic growth, and preservation of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The white paper defined China's core interests as national sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity, national unity, stability of the political system and society in line with the
constitution, and sustainable socio-economic development. The
National Security Law of the People's Republic of China, which took into effect in 2015, defined the core interests as "the political regime; the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the nation; and people’s livelihoods, sustainable economic development of society and other major interests". The new definition also includes any sovereignty issues of importance such as the
South China Sea, the
Arunachal Pradesh and the
Senkaku Islands dispute as a "core interest". == References ==