The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, US released its 2023 annual threat assessment on Wednesday (local time), which warned of threats against the US posed by China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.
The report also warned of global challenges like climate change and evolving technologies that could have the potential to “disrupt” traditional business and society, while creating “unprecedented vulnerabilities.” The United States is expected to face a “complex” security environment and will need to work to confront two “critical” strategic challenges: rising powers, like China, seeking dominance in the global order, the US intelligence community assessed.
“These two strategic challenges will intersect and interact in unpredictable ways, leading to mutually reinforcing effects that could challenge our ability to respond, but that also will introduce new opportunities to forge collective action with allies and partners, including non-state actors,” the report stated.
On China, the US intelligence community said the Chinese Communist Party will continue its efforts to make China the “preeminent power in East Asia and a major power on the world stage.”
Officials in their report said that Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his third term, will work to press Taiwan on unification and will seek to “undercut US influence” by driving “wedges between Washington and its partners.”
With regard to Taiwan, the intelligence community warned that the PRC is using “coordinated, whole-of-government tools” as it seeks to assert sovereignty over Taiwan.
Reports warned that China may build on its actions from 2022, and include more Taiwan Strait centerline crossings or missile overflights of Taiwan.
Officials also warned that Beijing is bolstering its domestic defense production capabilities for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and advanced conventional weapons. The intelligence community also warned that China is building hundreds of new ICBM silos.
