The proposals to establish a commission related to national security originated under CCP General Secretary Jiang Zemin in 1997, though it was never implemented due to the fear of concentrating too much power in one person.

Analysts regarded the establishment of the CNSC one of the most "concrete" and "eye-catching" outcomes of the Plenary Session, the culmination of a more than decade-long internal debate on whether China should have a national security council.

"[5] Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson Qin Gang stated that the NSC would aim to combat the "three evils"; namely terrorism, separatism, and religious extremism.

[11] After its establishment, it was speculated that the CNSC would aim to consolidate political leadership of all components of the security apparatus controlled by the Communist Party, including those headed formerly by former Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) member Zhou Yongkang.

Xi wishes China to play a greater role in world affairs, and so a mechanism like the CNSC would allow it to plan and implement, from the center, "grand strategy" ideas and "big power diplomacy.

"[7] The CNSC would thus fulfill Xi Jinping's ambitions for "major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics," rather than the quieter foreign policy agendas of previous administrations.

[13] Since its establishment, the CNSC has been led by the CCP general secretary, with the premier and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress serving as vice chairs.