Russia is a larger security threat to the U.S and allies than China

With growing tensions between the U.S and Russia one can assume that Russia is increasingly a major security threat to the United States. While I do not deny this sentiment, it is paramount for onlookers to realize the dangers imposed by China and how those dangers are greater than those brought forth by Russia. To begin we should look first at the military threats that each nation poses. Russia, with a large cold-war era military is widely considered the U.S' only substantial opponent on the battlefield, this however still does not pose much of a domestic threat to the U.S. The U.S has increasingly invested in national defense and the military since the outbreak of the cold war. Russia has the second largest nuclear arsenal after the U.S but lacks the satellite intelligence and anti-missile technology that the U.S is thought to poses. This coupled with the U.S' large economic and political advantages over Russia make Russia a regional threat to U.S interests in Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. China similarly to Russia possesses a out-dated and under funded military that poses little threat to the U.S mainland. However China has increasingly invested in areas of the world left abandoned by the U.S and Russia after the end of the cold war; areas such as South America, South East Asia, and Africa. These connections are making China an increasingly powerful global power with reach that extends to multiple continents and far from it's national borders. Further, unlike Russia, China holds economic power that it has used to make significant technological advances in its military complex; including the building of a new Aircraft carrier, and the upgrading of fighter aircraft into the 21st century. While both China and Russia have made aggressive moves against their neighbors Russia has shown a willingness to act against neighbors with military power; I cite Ukraine and Georgia. This however does not pose a risk to the U.S or allies directly as Russia has yet to move against a NATO or EU member. China however has made smaller land and territorial grabs at direct U.S allies such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Those signaling that China has no fear of angering the U.S in the Pacific. Further, China has technological abilities that have called into question the U.S' ability to defend against a cyber attack. This fact only makes China a potentially deadly adversary. Their ability to successfully wage a cyber war, potentially could shut down power grids, water purification sites, or defense capabilities in the face of impending natural disaster, or invasion. In today's world of ever expanding inter-connectivity China's ability to disrupt and dismantle the U.S' cyber infrastructure is a threat exceeding that of the nuclear ICBMs of the cold war. Imagine for a moment a Category 5 hurricane is heading directly for the gulf coast, the Department of Homeland Security has dispatched FEMA and the national guard prematurely to prepare for the disaster, as the hurricane makes landfall a Chinese hacker shuts down all communication, electricity and opens any electronically controlled levees . Now with millions of people in danger and no way to coordinate the U.S defense infrastructure collapses. Thousands die and billions of dollars in property damage causes an economic crisis. I could further go into how economically dependent the U.S is on China but that point is easily argued against as China is just as dependent on the U.S. This symbiotic relationship is what keeps China and the U.S from coming into direct conflict; but how long can that relationship last? What issue can spark enough aggression to hurl the two largest economies into war? With such a mysterious and unpredictable leadership in China how can the U.S rely on such a delicate balance for national security? Next time the weather man says a major blizzard is coming to New England, or a hurricane in the gulf should I worry that my government will be shutdown by a single Chinese hacker a half world away? Russia is scary, but China, China is the REAL threat.