President Xi Jinping of China shakes arms with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung forward of their summit on the Gyeongju Nationwide Museum on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation within the metropolis on Nov. 1, 2025. (Yonhap)
Whereas the joint reality sheet on safety negotiations that the Korean and American governments launched on Friday doesn’t point out China immediately, it does include a number of phrases that might be interpreted as referring to the containment of China, together with one about “preserving peace and stability throughout the Taiwan Strait.”
In a current go to to South Korea, the highest official within the US Navy remarked that it’s “a pure expectation” that the nuclear-powered submarines Korea plans to develop with the US’ blessing could be utilized “to counter China.” The naval official’s remark is a part of an rising American push for Korea to hitch its containment of China.
Essentially the most notable language possible associated to containment of China within the joint reality sheet is the part concerning the “stability” of the Taiwan Strait: “[The two leaders] emphasised the significance of preserving peace and stability throughout the Taiwan Strait. They inspired the peaceable decision of cross-Strait points and opposed unilateral adjustments to the established order.”
As well as, the very fact sheet pledged to “uphold freedoms of navigation and overflight,” language usually used to criticize China’s unilateral territorial claims, and to “work collectively to fight [. . .] the importation of products made with compelled labor,” which can be veiled criticism of compelled labor within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Area and different elements of China.
Any reference to the Taiwan challenge is able to frightening China, which regards the self-governed island as a “core curiosity” that’s immediately linked to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. However contemplating that the very fact sheet’s language is just like that within the rules adopted by Korea, the US and Japan at Camp David in August 2023 (wherein the three international locations acknowledged that they “oppose any unilateral makes an attempt to vary the established order by power or coercion”), Korea and the US had been apparently striving to average their tone.
One other a part of the very fact sheet liable to annoy China is the reference to constructing nuclear-powered submarines. Whereas Seoul maintains that the submarines are supposed to supply deterrence towards North Korea, the US has not bothered to hide its plans to combine the submarines into its containment of China.
“Utilization of that submarine to counter China, I feel, is a pure expectation,” mentioned US Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle in a gathering with Korean reporters on Thursday, the second day of his go to to Korea.
When requested whether or not “the USFK or the ROK navy ought to play a job in case of a China–Taiwan navy battle,” Caudle mentioned, “I wouldn’t say what it will appear like particularly, however I’m positive there could be a job.”
China has been open about its displeasure with these remarks.
China’s ambassador to Korea, Dai Bing, went a step additional than an preliminary assertion from the Chinese language International Ministry in a press convention with Korean reporters and overseas correspondents on Thursday.
“South Korea-US cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines is a matter immediately associated to the worldwide nuclear nonproliferation regime, and to stability on the peninsula and within the area,” Dai mentioned, including that he hopes South Korea “offers with this challenge prudently, making an allowance for the considerations of all sides.”
The Korean authorities is predicted to concentrate on managing the message whereas underlining its “strategic partnership” with China.
“Since Korea can’t fully distance itself from the US’ containment of China within the face of its calls for, the federal government seems to have sought out temporizing expressions [in the fact sheet] and used as many generalities as doable. There may be certain to be rigidity in our relationship with China, however it’s vital that we keep steadiness by additionally working to revive and develop our cooperative relationship,” mentioned Kim Jung-sup, a principal analysis fellow on the Sejong Institute.
“The very fact sheet talks about ‘modernizing’ the ROK-US alliance, however that must be learn as increasing the function of US Forces Korea. It’s evident that the US sees the Taiwan Strait as its major concern and views China as its biggest risk,” mentioned Park Gained-gon, a professor of worldwide research at Ewha Womans College.
By Search engine optimization Younger-ji, employees reporter
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