Security threat

U.S. intelligence chief warns of 'homegrown' security threat

Attacks by "homegrown" Islamist extremists are among the most imminent security threats facing the United States in 2016, along with dangers posed overseas by Islamic State and cyber security concerns, the top U.S. intelligence official said on Tuesday.

In his annual assessment of threats to the United States, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper warned that fast-moving cyber and technological advances "could lead to widespread vulnerabilities in civilian infrastructures and U.S. government systems."

In prepared testimony before the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, Clapper outlined an array of other threats from Russia and North Korean nuclear ambitions to instability caused by the Syrian migrant crisis.

Security threat

Third of Americans See China as ‘Very Serious Threat’ to US

A third of Americans consider China to be a very significant threat to the United States, a new poll by CNN/ORC International revealed on Monday.

The poll showed 33 percent of respondents see China as a “very serious threat” to the United States, compared to 18 percent who said so in April 2015.

Moreover, 40 percent of US citizens said that China is a “moderately serious threat” to the country compared to 36 percent in April.

Security threat

Japan annual defense paper shows heightened worry over China

Japan emphasized China as a threat in escalating regional tensions in this year's annual defense report as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government tries to convince the public of the need to pass legislation to give Japan's military a greater role.

The report, approved Tuesday by the Cabinet, was delayed for more than a week as Abe's ruling party panel demanded mention of additional examples of China's "one-sided" maritime activities, such as undersea gas and oil development in the East China Sea.