The US wants South Korea to join efforts to counter China's growing potential in shipbuilding, Reuters reported, citing the South Korean Ministry of Trade, BTA reports.
The idea is to organize cooperation between Washington and Seoul in this sector.
"The United States feels a crisis in view of China's increasing market share in the shipbuilding sector, and perceives Korea as a strategic partner," said a senior representative of the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Jang Song-gil.
The US wants Seoul to join measures to limit China in "other areas" as a "prerequisite" for bilateral cooperation in shipbuilding, the South Korean official said, without giving further explanation.
He later clarified that he was referring to the shipbuilding sector as a potential area in which the United States wants Seoul to act together with Washington in competition with China.
South Korea, Japan and the United States conducted a joint air exercise on Monday, involving a U.S. B-52 strategic bomber and South Korean and Japanese fighter jets, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing the South Korean defense ministry.
In addition, the defense chiefs of the three countries held their annual meeting in Seoul on Monday, where they stressed the importance of close trilateral cooperation in addressing security challenges emanating from North Korea, the Indo-Pacific region and elsewhere.