China’s state media response to the Trump-Lee summit suggests Beijing is increasingly concerned over deepening U.S.-South Korea ties. On Tuesday, the Global Times accused Seoul of acting like Washington’s “pawn,” criticizing ROK President Lee Jae-myung for aligning too closely with the U.S. during his first bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump.

The Oval Office meeting itself was heavy on optics and light on deliverables. While the two leaders used flattery to build personal rapport, neither of them discussed thornier issues, such as Washington’s intent to make the U.S. Forces Korea’s (USFK) mission more “flexible,” joint defense-cost sharing or