"Although the general security situation for the Beijing Olympics remains stable, we still face the challenges of terrorism, separatism and extremism," Zhou, the Public Security Minister, was quoted as saying in the China Daily.
"Terrorism, in particular, poses the biggest threat."
Zhou was speaking at an international conference on security cooperation for the Olympics on Monday, where Liu Jing, Vice Minister of Public Security, also told the meeting that some ethnic minority groups in the region and "international terrorist and extremist groups" might launch attacks at the event.
The report did not elaborate on which groups might target the Olympics, but China has previously pointed the finger at some Muslim Uighurs in the nation's far western region of Xinjiang for terrorist activities.
In the story on terrorism, the China Daily also highlighted comments from Liu that appeared to target human rights groups and other critics of China who have sought to use the Olympics to highlight their concerns.
"Some organisations and individuals had tried to politicise the Olympics and intervene in China's international affairs, and some others were planning to disrupt the Olympic torch relay," the paper paraphrased Liu as saying.
Eight foreign Tibet independence activists were deported by China police last month after they came to Beijing during the one-year Olympic countdown celebrations to protest against China's rule over the territory.
Reporters Without Borders, the international press watchdog, also sent representatives to Beijing to stage a protest during the one-year countdown.
Interpol assistance
While the English-language China Daily, which caters for mainly a foreign audience, ran with the terrorism story on its front page on Tuesday, most of the Chinese-language press either ignored or downplayed the comments.
The Chinese press that did report on Zhou's comments instead focused on the fact that Beijing will receive assistance from Interpol during the Olympics.
"Interpol will help China monitor and take preventative measures against potential terrorists through its global lost and stolen passport database," the Beijing News quoted Ronald Noble, Interpol's Secretary General, as saying.
China will have automated access to Interpol's passport and visa application screening processes, giving it the most advanced early detection system against fake travel documents, Noble added.