The United States believes China could use military force to counter any emergency situations in North Korea or in the event of an inter-Korean military conflict.

The recent assessment came in the Pentagon’s annual report on military and security developments involving China.

The report mentioned the Korean Peninsula in the category of regional concerns and also evaluated China’s strategic priorities.

The report said “changes in regional security dynamics --- such as perceived threats to China’s ability to access and transport foreign resources, or disruptions on the Korean Peninsula --- could lead to shifts in China’s military development and deployment patterns.”

Although the U.S. had previously raised the possibility of China intervening with its military in the event of an emergency situation in the North, this report is the first official assessment.