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The Chinese Embassy in Seoul on Thursday criticized recent remarks by U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson likening South Korea to a “dagger” in Asia from Beijing’s perspective amid an intensifying U.S.-Sino rivalry. In a podcast interview hosted by the U.S. Army War College on Friday, Brunson was quoted as describing South Korea as “the dagger in the heart of Asia,” amid lingering speculation that the United States would seek to leverage USFK assets to help deter an increasingly assertive China. Last year, Brunson also highlighted the strategic value of South Korea in overcoming geographic constraints in the broader Indo-Pacific, depicting the Asian ally as a “fixed aircraft carrier” in the region. In a Chinese statement shared on social media, a Chinese Embassy spokesperson criticized Bruson’s remarks, saying that they have “indeed crossed the line.” “By describing the host country as an ‘aircraft carrier’ or a ‘dagger’ — both instruments of war — are you revealing your own belligerence, or are you trying to use other countries as pawns,” an English translation of