83% Indians view China as major security threat: Survey

NEW DELHI: Eighty three per cent of Indians view China as a major security threat, even as 63 per cent would like relation with the neighbouring country to be strengthened, an opinion poll has claimed.

China's possession of nuclear weapons, its efforts at strengthening its relations with other countries in the Indian Ocean region and China-India border dispute have emerged as the major reasons because of which the wariness was generated, according to the poll which was launched at Observer Research Foundation here today.

Titled 'India Poll 2013: Facing the future - Indian views of the world ahead', the poll was conducted by Lowy Institute for International Policy and Australia India Institute (AII) here.

As per the survey, Pakistan is seen as a major threat by majority (94 per cent) of Indians because of the country's nuclear weapons and its claims of sovereignty over Kashmir.

The data also reflected that 83 per cent Indians hold a strong liking for the United States. Other countries for which the people expressed affinity were Singapore, Japan and Australia.

The other issues which worry Indians are corruption, domestic policy and democracy etc, the poll said.

Opinions of 1,223 adults were taken by the team that conducted the poll.