US Intelligence Agencies: "Greatest Military Threat is China... Possibility of AI National Strategy Development"

'2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community'
China Identified as the Most Comprehensive and Potent Military Threat
Report Highlights China's Push for Military Modernization and AI Supremacy
Russia, Iran, and North Korea Also Cited as Ongoing Security Concerns
Drug Cartels Ranked Above Terrorist Groups Among Nonstate Threats

2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Source: Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) website

U.S. intelligence agencies identified China as the most threatening entity in terms of military power. The main reason cited was China's steady push to modernize the People's Liberation Army and challenge the U.S.'s nuclear hegemony. Additionally, there are observations that China is aiming for economic dominance over the U.S. by strengthening its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.

According to the U.S. political media outlet Politico, on the 25th (local time), U.S. intelligence agencies released the "2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community" during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing. The report was disclosed during testimony from senior officials of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The ODNI oversees the U.S. intelligence community and was established after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The report named China as the state actor posing the most powerful military threat to the U.S. It described China as "the most comprehensive and potent military threat." In particular, it predicted that China is highly likely to increase coercive measures against Taiwan and will show "gradual but uneven progress" in developing military capabilities to invade Taiwan and deter U.S. intervention.

China's military advancements mentioned include the development of long-range missiles, expansion of naval power, modernization of ground forces, and expansion and restructuring of nuclear forces. The report also assessed that China has likely developed a "multi-layered, national-level strategy" to become the world leader in AI by 2030, replacing the U.S.

Regarding Russia, the report evaluated that it continues to show resilience and gradual superiority on the Ukraine battlefield, securing strategic advantages in negotiations with the West. On Iran, while it is not currently developing nuclear weapons, it noted that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei may be facing increased internal pressure to pursue nuclear weapons. North Korea was analyzed as continuing to pose regional and global threats.

Meanwhile, in the nonstate actor category, the report addressed drug cartel organizations before Islamic extremist armed groups such as ISIS or al-Qaeda. Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated, "This report has placed illegal drug organizations as the top priority among major threats for the first time," explaining that "this reflects the Trump administration's focus on border security and illegal immigration enforcement."

The report also pointed out that illegal drugs, including fentanyl, are trafficked through transnational criminal organizations. It added that some groups are also engaged in illegal activities challenging U.S. security, such as human trafficking, cyber operations, money laundering, and incitement of violence.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.