Chinese President Xi Jinping said strong military power is the key to China's continued development and security.

Xi made the  remarks during the first meeting of the new National Security Commission of the Communist Party of China (NSC). The commission was established at the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee in November 2013. Xi is also the General Secretary of the NSC.

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NSC aims to consolidate political leadership of all of China's security apparatus into a single entity under the direct command of the Communist Party of China's General Secretary, who is also Xi. NSC's goals are to combat terrorism, separatism and religious extremism.

Xi told the NSC's first meeting that China must "implement and put into practice an overall national security view, paying attention to external as well as internal security. He emphasized that the NSC had to "take political security as its base" and "seek stability."

"Security is the condition for development. We can only make the country rich by building up military power, and only with military power can we protect the country," Xi said.

Xi also urged the People's Liberation Army Air Force to adopt an integrated air and space defense capability to cope with the increasing military use of space by the United States her allies.

China also needs a coordinated approach to domestic and foreign challenges in "the most complex time in history" as regards the nation's security.

Xi seemed particularly concerned about building-up China's space capability to deter its adversaries from using space-based assets during a crisis, a statement that could signal the start of a space race with the United States. China has already accelerated its space programs for military, commercial and scientific uses.

Earlier, Xi told PLAAF officers to fasten the air and space integration further boost their offensive and defensive capabilities. He has said he wants China to become a space superpower that rivals the United States and Russia.