Is China a threat to US interests?

Yes, China is widely assessed by the U.S. government, intelligence community, bipartisan congressional reports, and many independent analysts as the primary pacing challenge and a multifaceted threat (or "strategic competitor") to core U.S. interests. This is not fringe opinion—it is the official bipartisan consensus reflected in strategies from both Trump and Biden administrations, the annual intelligence threat assessments, and documents like the National Defense Strategy. At the same time, the relationship is complex: deep economic interdependence exists, cooperation occurs on some transnational issues, and not every Chinese action is zero-sum. "Threat" here means actions and capabilities that undermine U.S. security, prosperity, alliances, technological edge, and the rules-based order the U.S. helped build—not an inevitable march to war.