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Victoria Bela

China has criticised the commander of the US Forces Korea (USFK) after he described South Korea as a “dagger” and Japan as a “shield” in countering China’s growing regional influence.
This comes as Washington seeks to expand the scope of its South Korea-based command for a greater presence across the Indo-Pacific in what Beijing views as an effort to contain it.
During a podcast interview hosted by the US Army War College on May 22, USFK Commander Xavier Brunson said that when looking from the east coast of China, South Korea was “the dagger in the heart of Asia”.


He also described Japan as a “shield” or “backstop” for China’s ambitions in the South China Sea, according to an interview transcript.
It follows Brunson’s depiction of South Korea as looking like a “fixed aircraft carrier” between Japan and China while speaking at a forum in Hawaii in May last year, according to a report by Korea JoongAng Daily.
The Chinese embassy in South Korea said on Thursday it wanted to “solemnly warn” Brunson that his remarks had crossed the line, according to the mission’s social media account.
“Are your hostile and aggressive remarks about China authorised by Washington, or are you trying to challenge the consensus reached at the Beijing meeting between the Chinese and US leaders?” a representative for the embassy was quoted as saying.
“You refer to the host country as an ‘aircraft carrier’ or a ‘dagger’. Does this demonstrate your belligerence, or do you intend to use other countries as pawns?”
The remarks from Brunson came just two weeks after US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing and summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Chinese embassy noted the state visit and the consensus reached during the talks to build a constructive and stable US-China relationship, which it said was in line with the expectations of the international community.
The embassy also stated that Chinese and South Korean leaders had had successful visits with each other since the end of 2025.
“Perhaps a minority do not wish to see a stable development in Sino-US relations, nor do they wish to see a positive development in Sino-South Korean relations,” the embassy representative said.
The 28,500-strong USFK, an overseas American military command, helps implement a mutual defence treaty between South Korea and the United States.
In his remarks at the Hawaii forum last year, Brunson said the USFK’s presence in Korea “changes the calculations of leaders” of North Korea, Russia and China, and “gives our adversaries pause”, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
While the USFK was originally dedicated to defending South Korea and maintaining stability on the Korean peninsula, there have been increasing indications that the force is shifting its strategic focus towards deterring China’s growing influence over the Indo-Pacific.
Earlier this year, Elbridge Colby, the US undersecretary of defence for policy, hinted at a shift in focus to the “first island chain”, a string of islands that runs from Japan through Taiwan and to the Philippines.
Beijing’s relations with Tokyo have sharply deteriorated following remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to the Japanese parliament in November that suggested a Taiwan conflict could justify a military response from Japan.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, Japan and South Korea, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.


During the podcast last week, Brunson also made note of the Philippines and said the US’ triangle of allies in the region could be sewn into a “kill web” to prevent escalation into war.
Tensions have also escalated in the contested South China Sea between Beijing and rival Southeast Asian claimants. This is particularly true for the Philippines, which has seen repeated vessel clashes with China near disputed areas.


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Chinese embassy in Seoul says US Forces Korea commander Xavier Brunson’s ‘hostile and aggressive remarks’ on podcast ‘crossed the line’


Chinese embassy in Seoul says US Forces Korea commander Xavier Brunson’s ‘hostile and aggressive remarks’ on podcast ‘crossed the line’.


China slams US commander’s ‘dagger’ label for South Korea

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chinese embassy in Seoul says US Forces Korea commander Xavier Brunson’s ‘hostile and aggressive remarks’ on podcast ‘crossed the line’

Chinese embassy in Seoul says US Forces Korea commander Xavier Brunson’s ‘hostile and aggressive remarks’ on podcast ‘crossed the line’