The 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit hosted by South Korea concluded on November 1st in Gyeongju. During the summit, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung held intensive meetings with leaders of major countries such as the United States, China, and Japan. The South Korean media described this week as a “super diplomatic week.”
Strategic experts noted that South Korea’s foreign policy of “security relying on the United States and economy on China,” known as “Anmei Jingzhong,” has adjusted by seeking assistance from the U.S. to build nuclear-powered submarines and aiming to restore alliance with Japan, becoming an important diplomatic partner. Following the strengthened military defense cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea, they are gradually moving away from closer ties with China.
Prior to the APEC summit, on October 29th, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Gyeongju, where they agreed on U.S. assistance in building nuclear-powered submarines in South Korea. According to South Korean briefing, Lee emphasized the need for such submarines to enhance detection and tracking capabilities against submarine activities from North Korea and China, while Trump suggested that these submarines should be built in the United States.
Hanwha Group of South Korea acquired Philadelphia Shipyard in December last year. In August of this year, Hanwha announced an additional $5 billion investment in the cooperation project “MASGA” (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again) with Philadelphia Shipyard.
According to Yu Zongji, former Dean of the School of Political Warfare at Taiwan’s National Defense University, South Korea is the first country, other than the AUKUS alliance partners (Australia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.), to receive nuclear submarine technology from the United States, symbolizing a significant advancement in U.S.-South Korea relations. By shifting its shipbuilding hub from South Korea to Philadelphia, South Korea’s economic policy has taken a noteworthy turn.
Conservative newspaper “Chosun Ilbo” commented that during the APEC, South Korea and the U.S. reached a tariff agreement, marking the beginning of a new era dominated by U.S.-led protective trade and signaling the end of the “Anmei Jingzhong” diplomatic model. The report stressed the need for South Korea to actively reorganize its position in the global supply chain and expand its economic territory based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance to ensure core technological competitiveness.
Jin Jian, member of the South Korean National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and former Ambassador to the U.K., stated in an interview with Deutsche Welle that South Korea is trying to shift towards the “Anmei Jingduo” model, which strengthens cooperation with the European Union and “Global South” (referring to developing countries in the Southern Hemisphere) while maintaining the partnership with the U.S. as a safety core, aiming to reduce reliance on the Chinese market.
Jin emphasized that South Korea should formulate more precise strategies to reduce dependence on China while maintaining a practical diplomatic balance.
Yu Zongji pointed out that Lee Jae-myung originally had two indicators of being pro-China by distancing from the U.S. and Japan. However, during the APEC summit, Lee interacted warmly with Japan’s new Prime Minister Koga Sanae, and both sides agreed to enhance military cooperation. Currently, South Korea is intentionally seeking to restore its alliance with Japan, becoming an important diplomatic partner. From the perspective of these two indicators of pro-China policy, it is evident that South Korea is indeed making adjustments.
Is South Korea adjusting its “Anmei Jingzhong” strategy towards a different direction? Su Zi-yun, Director of Defense Strategy and Resources Institute at Taiwan’s National Defense University, stated it is evident that this is affirmative. Firstly, South Korea has suffered from technology theft due to its investments in mainland China.
Secondly, concerns were raised about Lee Jae-myung being too pro-China, however, during the APEC summit, he reached a consensus with Trump on building nuclear submarines. Additionally, the national flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) was displayed during the broadcast, and Taiwan was not marginalized.
United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited South Korea on November 3rd and went to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) with South Korean Defense Minister An Gye-beom to inspect the Joint Security Area (JSA) at the Panmunjom truce village, marking the first visit by a U.S. defense minister in eight years.
However, according to Seoul authorities, just one hour before Hegseth visited the Korean Peninsula’s demilitarized zone, North Korea fired multiple rockets.
On Tuesday, November 4th, Hegseth and An Gye-beom held a “Security Council Meeting” in Seoul. Hegseth emphasized the importance of the U.S.-South Korea military alliance, announcing that the U.S. would provide the South with expanded wartime operational control, ready to respond to increasing security challenges on the Korean Peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific region.
Hegseth bluntly stated during a press conference attended by both defense ministers that South Korea is facing a “dangerous security environment.” Increased military spending will allow Seoul to “rapidly enhance its deterrence and conventional defense capabilities against North Korea.”
Reuters reported that U.S. officials have released signals indicating plans to give the U.S. troops in South Korea a more flexible role to address broader threats and conduct missions outside the Korean Peninsula region, including defending Taiwan and containing the expanding military power of the People’s Republic of China.
In response, Yu Zongji expressed that South Korea has faced missile launches from North Korea as Kim Jong-un continues to escalate tensions before the APEC summit. In response to such threats, the South Korean government must strengthen its military cooperation with the U.S. and Japan.
“In other words, even though Lee Jae-myung leans towards China, the entire international situation, especially with the current alignment of the U.S. and Japan, is firmly united against China.”
Su Zi-yun also mentioned that Hegseth has adjusted the tasks of the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. In the event of regional tensions arising near South Korea, the U.S. troops will assist in defending Taiwan, while the safety of the Korean Peninsula will be directly handled by the South Korean military. This signifies a clear signal of strengthened military defense cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea, distancing from China.
Former President Trump signed numerous agreements during the recent ASEAN summit, successfully mediating a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia. Some foreign analysts have observed that this act demonstrates active consolidation in Southeast Asia, showcasing U.S. influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Southeast Asian countries are caught in a dilemma within the zero-sum game between the U.S. and China, facing increasing pressure to choose sides.
Recently, Kang Puchao, Vice Executive Director of the Land Research Center at Donghai University, commented on Southeast Asian countries beginning to keep their distance from China in a commentary titled “ASEAN Countries Start Learning to Maintain Distance from China.” Southeast Asia was once a focal point of China’s Belt and Road Initiative; however, this trend is no longer as visible, with ASEAN countries increasingly cautious of China.
A survey conducted by the Singapore-based ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute showed that over 60% of respondents expressed concerns about China’s excessive influence, particularly countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines remain vigilant.
A report from the American research institute AidData revealed that over 1.2 trillion euros of Chinese overseas loans have been directed to financially troubled countries, leading to delays or cancellations of over a thousand projects. Beijing is even relying on “rescue loans” to maintain appearances, shifting from an exporter to a debt stabilizer.
Yu Zongji stated that President Xi Jinping has often mentioned the concept of “rising in the East and declining in the West,” positioning China to become the global hegemon and replace the U.S. However, given that economic interests predominantly lead international relations, it is apparent that China lacks the financial means and resources to continue its extensive foreign propaganda. Consequently, countries friendly to China are now opting for cooperative relations with the U.S.
In late March, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy revealed ongoing negotiations between Russia and the U.S. on rare earth metals and other projects, with some companies expressing interest.
Yu Zongji noted that even Russia, which has declared its relationship with China as “limitless,” has expressed interest in cooperating with the U.S. on rare earth elements. Therefore, from these international shifts, it is clear that when China attempted to weaponize rare earths against the U.S., Chinese-friendly nations in its sphere of influence are inclining towards the U.S. to secure rare earth cooperation and replace their ties with China.