Americans now say that China is bigger enemy to America than Iran

NIT – What country anywhere in the world do you consider to be the United States’ greatest enemy today?

That was the question posed to 1,023 Americans earlier this month by Gallup.

China was named the biggest threat by most respondents, with 20% naming the Asian nation.  China replaced Iran at #1, which fell to #2.  North Korea was third and Russia was fourth.

Depending on events on the world stage, Americans’ perception of their biggest threat will change.  For example, in 2001, Iraq was number one, right before the war on terror was launched and Saddam Hussein was in power.  According to Gallup, by 2005, with the U.S. nearly two years into the Iraq war, Iraq and North Korea tied as the greatest enemy, with 22% mentioning each country. Since then, Iran remained the most often cited enemy until this year.

China has emerged as a world superpower, exerting its influence across the Globe, building its military and flexing its economic muscle with a huge trade imbalance with the US.  China is also known for stealing US technology and using reverse-engineering to develop similar products, thus under-cutting American companies.