U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are set to hold a summit in Washington on April 10, with reports indicating that the two sides will announce plans to upgrade their security alliance by revamping the U.S. military command and expanding exercises in an effort to contain China.

The move is a positive sign for South Korea insofar as it demonstrates America’s continued commitment to East Asia, but it also poses direct risks, potentially diminishing the ROK relative to Japan in Washington’s purview.