China on Wednesday passed a wide-ranging national security law to counter emerging threats amid the country's increasingly severe national security situation. 

Compared with the traditional domain of national security such as defense, competition between major powers and territorial sovereignty, China's security nowadays covers a wide spectrum of areas, including politics, culture, the military, the economy, technology and the environment. 

China's security issues have always been of concern to outsiders. The new law has also garnered attention from mainstream Western media. Their tendency is to interpret the law from the perspective that China is bolstering the power of the State through the new security law.

In the 21st century, many new threats to national sovereignty have emerged. This includes threats to financial spheres and in cyberspace. Globalization has been deepening and strategic rivalry between powers adds uncertainty to the world's development trajectory. China's national security lies in not only safeguarding its physical frontiers, but also in sustaining its development impetus and consolidating national unity.

China has been trying to create a favorable environment for its development, both internally and externally. Internal conflicts may be easily abused by outside forces, either with hard or soft power, which may eventually shake the country's stability or further, national security.

In terms of national security, different countries may have different interpretations. To the outside world, the US has already acquired the highest degree of national security, but this doesn't prevent Washington from pursuing more security advantages. Barack Obama's 2010 National Security Strategy stated long-term security and prosperity depends on steady US support for universal values, which are the "best national security asset." In India, national security also factors into procedures such as visa issuing and foreign investment approval.

Washington speculates that China poses a cyber threat to its national security, while former NSA contractor Edward Snowden's revelations only showed that the US protected its own national security by vast electronic spying far beyond its national borders.

It's not unusual that China's measures to secure national security display national characteristics. Within each country's territory, its own core security concerns should be prioritized rather than the protection of foreign interests. But Western countries often insist it is the other way around.

Each country formulates its national security laws based on its own situation. The laws may be difficult to understand for outsiders. It is expected countries can respect each other's sovereignty and the right to protect their own security.