国际形势深刻演变，国际力量对比、全球治理体系结构、亚太地缘战略格局和国际经济、科技、军事竞争格局正在发生历史性变化。维护和平的力量上升，制约战争的因素增多，在可预见的未来，世界大战打不起来，总体和平态势可望保持。但是，霸权主义、强权政治和新干涉主义将有新的发展，各种国际力量围绕权力和权益再分配的斗争趋于激烈，恐怖主义活动日益活跃，民族宗教矛盾、边界领土争端等热点复杂多变，小战不断、冲突不止、危机频发仍是一些地区的常态，世界依然面临现实和潜在的局部战争威胁。

　　中国发展仍将处于可以大有作为的重要战略机遇期，外部环境总体有利。国家综合国力、核心竞争力、抵御风险能力显著增强，国际地位和国际影响力显著提高，人民生活显著改善，社会大局保持稳定。作为一个发展中大国，中国仍然面临多元复杂的安全威胁，遇到的外部阻力和挑战逐步增多，生存安全问题和发展安全问题、传统安全威胁和非传统安全威胁相互交织，维护国家统一、维护领土完整、维护发展利益的任务艰巨繁重。

Profound changes are taking place in the international situation, as manifested in the historic changes in the balance of power, global governance structure, Asia-Pacific geostrategic landscape, and international competition in the economic, scientific and technological, and military fields. The forces for world peace are on the rise, so are the factors against war. In the foreseeable future, a world war is unlikely, and the international situation is expected to remain generally peaceful. There are, however, new threats from hegemonism, power politics and neo-interventionism. International competition for the redistribution of power, rights and interests is tending to intensify. Terrorist activities are growing increasingly worrisome. Hotspot issues, such as ethnic, religious, border and territorial disputes, are complex and volatile. Small-scale wars, conflicts and crises are recurrent in some regions. Therefore, the world still faces both immediate and potential threats of local wars.

With a generally favorable external environment, China will remain in an important period of strategic opportunities for its development, a period in which much can be achieved. China's comprehensive national strength, core competitiveness and risk-resistance capacity are notably increasing, and China enjoys growing international standing and influence. Domestically, the Chinese people's standard of living has remarkably improved, and Chinese society remains stable. China, as a large developing country, still faces multiple and complex security threats, as well as increasing external impediments and challenges. Subsistence and development security concerns, as well as traditional and non-traditional security threats are interwoven. Therefore, China has an arduous task to safeguard its national unification, territorial integrity and development interests.