Lawmakers will review a draft amendment to the National Defense Education Law at a meeting of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, China's top legislature, through Friday. The bill underwent a first reading in April, and could be passed by the end of the year.
Under the proposed changes, national educational authorities and local military authorities will guide marching and marksmanship drills at high schools and universities. Local governments will be responsible for costs.
Universities that fail to comply could face criminal charges. Certain schools in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Fujian province are already conducting drills using automatic rifles, rocket launchers and armored vehicles.
Xi sees national security as a top priority amid concerns that tensions with the U.S. over Taiwan and the South China Sea could lead to conflict. He aims to build a world-leading military with greater capabilities in the nuclear, space and cyber realms.
The Communist Party's publicity department aims to raise awareness on defense education in September, urging films to be shown on the topic and military facilities to open their doors to the public.
The defense education association in Guangdong province is hosting speeches and an essay contest together with over 10 universities, including Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou. It will also hold an event on Sept. 18, the anniversary of the Mukden Incident staged by the Japanese as a pretext for the invasion of Manchuria in 1931.
Xi in 2014 introduced the concept of "holistic national security," which includes not only defense but the economy, culture, technology and other fields. To foster new talent in the area, the Education Ministry in March added national security studies to the list of approved university majors.
The new major has attracted around 90 students at Xinjiang University of Political Science and Law this year. They will be taking classes on investigation and interrogation techniques, public safety management, counterterrorism and cyberdefense.
Graduates are expected to join public security, customs and national security agencies. The Xi administration has positioned the Xinjiang region as a "core interest" alongside Taiwan, cracking down on separatist movements there.
The Education Ministry in August also published a national security textbook geared toward university students.
The push is driven partly by concerns that U.S. and European spies could weaken the Communist Party's grip on power. The counterespionage law updated last year grants authorities greater powers to crack down on activity seen to hurt China's security and interests.
Xi is also focusing on patriotic education to promote national unity and strengthen his leadership. A new law that took effect in January promotes patriotic messaging over the internet and at cultural institutions.