The U.S.-China trade war, which began in 2018, is showing signs of an all-out clash beyond trade conflicts with Huawei, 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong democratization, Xinjiang and Xizang minorities, the South China Sea conflict, and Belt and Road Initiative. In particular, during the new Cold War between the U.S. and China, military and security conflicts and conflicts between China, the U.S., and Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait are the most sensitive and violent confrontations. The Chinese military has already announced its plan to strengthen its asymmetric strategic capabilities and compete thoroughly with the U.S. military, by making the Chinese military the world's top military by 2049. Based on its world's second-largest economic power, China will actively respond to regional intervention and challenges in order to protect its core interests by accelerating the development of state-of-the-art weapons and strengthening joint exercises.

The U.S.-China military confrontation and the growing crisis over the Taiwan Strait have a direct impact on the security of the Korean Peninsula. China has declared the Taiwan issue a "core interest" and a "sovereign sovereignty" issue that cannot be abandoned. China is expected to take additional measures. As a result, the U.S. has officially announced its Indo-Pacific Strategy and Quad, demonstrating its strong will to intervene in the Taiwan Strait through large-scale joint naval exercises with NATO, Britain, Germany, and France. In particular, the new commander of the U.S. Forces Korea Paul LaCamera said that the U.S. Forces Korea will actively respond to the Taiwan Strait dispute as well as the security situation on the Korean Peninsula in the future. If the U.S.-China military confrontation and conflict over the Taiwan Strait continue, it will have a direct impact on Korea-U.S. relations as well as on Korea-China relations. China is expected to pay close attention to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy and Quad, the strategic flexibility of the U.S. Forces Korea, and the possibility of deploying missile defense networks (MDs) and long-range missiles. In response, the U.S. is expected to urge Korea to actively participate in strengthening cooperation with its allies around the world, strengthening its Indo-Pacific strategy and quadruplets, and promoting security cooperation between Korea, the U.S. and Japan. The U.S.-China military confrontation and the growing crisis over the Taiwan Strait have a direct impact on the security of the Korean Peninsula. China has declared the Taiwan issue a "core interest" and a "sovereign sovereignty" issue that cannot be abandoned. China is expected to take additional measures. As a result, the U.S. has officially announced its Indo-Pacific Strategy and Quad, demonstrating its strong will to intervene in the Taiwan Strait through large-scale joint naval exercises with NATO, Britain, Germany, and France. In particular, the new commander of the U.S. Forces Korea Paul LaCamera said that the U.S. Forces Korea will actively respond to the Taiwan Strait dispute as well as the security situation on the Korean Peninsula in the future. If the U.S.-China military confrontation and conflict over the Taiwan Strait continue, it will have a direct impact on Korea-U.S. relations as well as on Korea-China relations. China is expected to pay close attention to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy and Quad, the strategic flexibility of the U.S. Forces Korea, and the possibility of deploying missile defense networks (MDs) and long-range missiles. In response, the U.S. is expected to urge Korea to actively participate in strengthening cooperation with its allies around the world, strengthening its Indo-Pacific strategy and quadruplets, and promoting security cooperation between Korea, the U.S. and Japan​

In the event of a crisis in the Taiwan Strait in the future, the U.S. is likely to demand that Korea join the military-defense alliance against China. This means that Korea may be required to make strategic choices such as the balance of power, the balance of threat, and bandwagon strategies and consider various policies in the event of the Taiwan Strait crisis. Under the U.S.-China strategic competition structure, Korea needs to abandon its policy of antagonizing the other side and set a final goal of establishing a new regional order through the denuclearization-peace process on the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of a Northeast Asian peace economic community. Due to the U.S.-China strategic competition intensifying, there are practical constraints. In the event of a crisis in the Taiwan Strait in the future, the U.S. is likely to demand that Korea join the military-defense alliance against China. This means that Korea may be required to make strategic choices such as the balance of power, the balance of threat, and bandwagon strategies and consider various policies in the event of the Taiwan Strait crisis. Under the U.S.-China strategic competition structure, Korea needs to abandon its policy of antagonizing the other side and set a final goal of establishing a new regional order through the denuclearization-peace process on the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of a Northeast Asian peace economic community. Due to the U.S.-China strategic competition intensifying, there are practical constraints.​ However, while the U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan intensifies, Korea should implement a careful and balanced policy to prevent the spread of exclusive multilateralism, which does not include certain countries, as in Quad. Therefore, it is necessary to make strategic and national interest-oriented policy efforts, such as holding a "2+2 Foreign and Security High-Level Meeting" with China and revitalizing the 1.5 channel between Korea and China.

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