Republican committee chief urges 'heightened vigilance' over S. Korea-China ties: report

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the congressional committee on U.S.-China competition, Rep. John Moolenaar, has urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to remain highly vigilant regarding the strengthening ties between South Korea and China, stating that such a relationship could pose substantial risks to the United States. In a letter addressed to Rubio, Moolenaar highlighted the growing leader-to-leader relations between the two nations, along with South Korean semiconductor investments in China and the perceived unfair treatment of U.S. businesses in South Korea compared to their Chinese counterparts.

Moolenaar described South Korea as a key ally for the United States but cautioned that an unprecedented level of engagement between Seoul and Beijing could potentially lead to a structural shift in Seoul's alignment. The congressman expressed worry about the rapid pace of leader-to-leader interaction between South Korea and China, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping had visited South Korea for the first time in 11 years last year, and that South Korean President Lee Myung-bak had also engaged in high-level discussions with Chinese officials.