维护国家核心利益
中国走和平发展道路、倡导合作共赢是以坚决维护国家核心利益为底线的。中国的核心利益包括：国家主权，国家安全，领土完整，国家统一，中国宪法确立的国家政治制度和社会大局稳定，经济社会可持续发展的基本保障。习近平总书记指出：“我们要坚持走和平发展道路，但决不能放弃我们的正当权益，决不能牺牲国家核心利益。任何外国不要指望我们会拿自己的核心利益做交易，不要指望我们会吞下损害中国主权、安全、发展利益的苦果。”
Safeguarding the Core Interests of China
China's commitment to peaceful development and mutually beneficial cooperation is underpinned by its determination to safeguard its national core interests. These interests include state sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity, national reunification, stability of its political system established by the Constitution and overall social stability, and the need to ensure sustainable economic and social development.
At a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in January 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping reaffirmed China's commitment to peaceful development. This commitment is however premised on the absence of any encroachment upon our national core interests, he added. We will never give up our legitimate rights and interests. No foreign country should harbor the illusion that we would trade our core interests, or allow harm to be done to our sovereignty, security or development.
