A Chinese state-run media outlet says the United States' request of a five-fold increase in military costs for South Korea is "blackmail." 

The Global Times, a sister publication of the People's Daily published by China's Communist Party, said in an op-ed Friday that South Korea-U.S. talks on their military cost-sharing deal broke down on Tuesday as Washington demanded its Asian ally to increase its share of the bill to five-billion dollars next year, sparking outrage across South Korea. 

It also noted that South Korean media reported on Thursday that the U.S. Trump administration is considering withdrawing a brigade of American troops from the country to put pressure on Seoul, leading to more public uproar.

The piece said, "The Pentagon has denied the South Korean report, but many believe that there is no smoke without fire."

It went on to say that South Korea's share of U.S. military spending has been increasing, and the latest U.S. demand can be seen as a policy announcement from the Trump administration to fundamentally change the U.S. overseas military cost-sharing mechanism.

The English-language news outlet said however, that South Korea is not well-equipped to withstand U.S. blackmail as it is at the heart of a "strategically volatile region."

It argued that Washington has apparently realized that Seoul has no choice but to depend upon the U.S., and "has offered an almost humiliating price tag."