The U.S. government may not rule out reducing the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea to optimize deterrence against China.

According to the Associated Press on Thursday, citing multiple U.S. defense officials, Washington is focusing on deterring China in the Indo-Pacific region and is not ruling out the possibility of reducing U.S. troops in South Korea.

After a senior U.S. official mentioned “calibrating” U.S. troops in South Korea, the defense official suggested the possibility of a change in the status quo in more direct terms.

One official explained that while the number of U.S. troops to be stationed in South Korea has not yet been determined, the size of the future deployment will be optimized not only to defend the South from the North, but also to deter China.

On a flight to Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Defense Dialogue on Thursday, a senior Pentagon official said deterrence against China is the priority, adding that it’s essential that Washington work with Seoul to modernize the alliance and adjust the posture of U.S. forces on the Korean Peninsula to reflect the realities of the security situation in the region.