에스퍼 "인태지역 중국 위협에 동맹들과 함께 맞설 것"... 미중 사이 한국 대처법은?

The U.S. is working to group its allies together against the rise of China and that includes its ally South Korea.
Oh Jung-hee spoke with an expert on how Seoul should balance its relationships with the U.S. and China.
While promoting the success of its Indo-Pacific strategy, the U.S. is raising the pressure on South Korea to join it in checking China's rise.
The Straits Times published a piece on Monday by U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
He said... that while China tries to destabilize the Indo-Pacific region with values and interests contrary to those of the U.S., Washington is committed to ensuring that the region remains "free and open."
Esper stressed that the U.S. "remains vigilant to resist" China with its allies South Korea, Japan, India, New Zealand and Thailand.
He specifically added that the U.S. is working with South Korea to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea a phrase rarely heard from U.S. officials since the nuclear talks hit a snag last year.
The op-ed comes at a time when tensions are escalating between Washington and Beijing on security and economy... and as the U.S. continues to try to form a bloc united against China by, for one thing, inviting Seoul to join the upcoming G7 summit.
And it's a growing dilemma for Seoul the U.S. is a long-time ally, but China is its largest export market,... and it's critical for South Korea to have good relations with both.
"Competition between the U.S. and China will intensify for the time being, and it will be difficult for South Korea to stay balanced between the two big powers. What's most important for the country is to first and foremost endure this. So the government is looking to maximize economic cooperation considering its own New Southern Policy and security in terms of North Korean threats."
The expert says that the U.S. is demanding more and more from South Korea.
But he adds that the increasing pressure is not necessarily something negative as long as Seoul can use it strategically to gain Washington's support in improving inter-Korean relations.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.