South Korean military capabilities aimed at countering North Korea can also contribute to deterring China, a high-ranking Pentagon official has told Congress, recommending that U.S. defense strategy focus on Beijing.

The statement by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for East Asia John Noh, who is nominated to serve as assistant secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs, comes as the Trump administration has endorsed greater flexibility for American forces on the peninsula to counter China and called on Seoul to contribute more to its defense.

“While the ROK should focus primarily on leading the U.S.-ROK Alliance’s conventional deterrence against the DPRK,