More than twice as many U.S. adults (58%) say that debt owed to China is a more serious threat to the long-term security and well-being of the U.S than is terrorism from radical Islamic terrorists (27%).Interestingly there was little variation by party identification with a majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents all agreeing that the debt owed by the United States to China poses the greater threat. Opinion was consistent across all other major demographic and political sub-groups.
While I don't think terrorism is the most serious long-term threat we face, I don't think the debt issue vis-a-vis China is a huge problem either (in fact, it could potentially stabilize the relationship in what some have dubbed a "financial balance of terror"). The problem is the debt itself, not who we owe the money to.
