These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
25% Now Say China Is Biggest Threat to United States
Thursday, March 25, 2010
U.S. voters are growing increasingly wary of China's relationship with the United States.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 25% of voters now rate China as a bigger threat to U.S. national security than five other key nations. That's second only to Iran, which is viewed as the number one threat by 30%.
In December, China for the first time passed North Korea as number two on the list of national security threats. But this is the highest level of concern yet registered by U.S. voters.
Iran has been first on the list since early October. Last month, 35% rated it the bigger threat, while 19% felt that way about China.
In a survey late last month, 50% of Americans said China was a long-term threat to the United States. Eighty-six percent (86%) expressed concern about the level of U.S. debt now owned by China, while 73% believe it is at least somewhat likely China will use this debt against the United States in some fashion within the next five years.
Fifteen percent (15%) of voters now view North Korea as a bigger threat to U.S. national security than any of the other nations on the list regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports. Rounding out the list are Pakistan (9%), Afghanistan (4%), Iraq (4%) and Russia (2%).
Interestingly, Mainstream voters rate Iran and China as nearly equal threats, while the Political Class is more than twice as likely to view Iran as a bigger threat than China.
Eighty-three percent (83%) of Americans see U.S.-China relations as at least somewhat important . But 19% of now see China as an enemy of the United States, up six points over the past year . Just 10% see China as an ally, while most (61%) place it somewhere in between.
Confidence that America is winning the war on terror is down slightly this month, but belief that the United States is safer today than it was before 9/11 has hit its lowest level in over three years of tracking.