Chinese rank US as 'top threat'

Chinese people believe the United States is the "top threat" facing their country, a poll showed Wednesday, with most suspecting the world's number one economy of trying to "prevent China from becoming an equal power". A survey by the Washington-based Pew Research Center revealed 45 percent of Chinese consider US power and influence to be a "major threat" - more than economic instability (35 percent), climate change (34 percent) and the Islamic State (15 percent).
However, half of the 3,154 respondents in the survey had a "favourable opinion" of the US - including 60 percent of those aged between 18 and 34. The news comes as Beijing and Washington are at loggerheads over China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, with the US urging China to adhere to the rule of law and Beijing accusing its ally of interference. The vast majority of Chinese (75 percent) believe their own country plays "a more important role in world affairs" than a decade ago, compared with only 21 percent of Americans, 23 percent of Europeans and 68 percent of Indians.