Xi Jinping is powered-up and ready to take on the U.S.-led international order following the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s Congress, increasing the risk that South Korea gets caught in the middle.

Xi doubled down on signature policies related to Taiwan and competition with the U.S. at the congress. He also packed his country’s top leadership with loyalists, eliminating potential resistance toward achieving his goals.

While South Korea relies on the U.S. military for its security, it also enjoys a profitable relationship with China, its largest trading partner. This puts South Korea in a dilemma on a number of issues,