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From a handshake on producing vaccines to promises to collaborate on filling gaps in the supply chain, President Biden and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea demonstrated with their summit last week just how productive two democracies can be when working collaboratively. But beyond partnership on trade and global health, perhaps the most important outcome of their first summit as leaders was the show of unity telegraphing to the world that the U.S.-South Korean alliance is not only intact but thriving.

In their , both presidents stressed the between Seoul and Washington on a range of issues. That strategic show of unity was deft in conveying strength, commitment and promise to multiple audiences 鈥� not only in the South Korea and United States but also nations in the broader Indo-Pacific. And it also was designed to reach two key adversaries: North Korea and China, giving us insight into how the the Biden Administration intends to utilize the rebuilding of alliances in its foreign policy strategy, starting with South Korea and Japan.

This summit allowed President Moon to show Kim Jong Un that he has President Biden鈥檚 ear.

On North Korea, both emphasized that the U.S. policy review was coordinated closely with Seoul, and that the allies would continue to ensure that their approaches are in sync. This summit allowed President Moon to show Kim Jong Un that he has President Biden鈥檚 ear. We鈥檙e already starting to see signals from the Biden Administration that show they are listening to the South Koreans. These signals are designed to prevent North Korean provocation and to encourage engagement.

To highlight their coordination, the presidents announced that Amb. Sung Kim 鈥� a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea who currently serves as U.S. ambassador to Indonesia 鈥� would serve as . Kim is a career diplomat with deep experience on North Korean negotiations during both the Obama and Trump administrations, and the announcement alone to fill this position should reassure the South Koreans 鈥� and perhaps the North Koreans 鈥� that North Korea is a foreign policy priority for the Biden Administration that will not be put on the back burner.

Use of the calling for the 鈥渃omplete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula鈥� was also designed to signal that the Biden Administration will not completely jettison Trump Administration policies on North Korea but move forward from diplomatic progress made in recent years. It is another strategic concession, given the complicated nature of the phrase, designed to appease Seoul and perhaps to entice Pyongyang.

However, how to handle North Korea will remain a challenge for Seoul and Washington. President Moon is far more committed to the promise of diplomacy with North Korea than President Biden. Unlike Moon鈥檚 in multiple meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Biden that such a summit would not happen unless Kim meets certain conditions. Indeed, the 鈥溾�� to diplomacy described by the Biden administration is a far cry from the put forth by the Moon Administration that has included a declared end to the Korean War and a multi-decade, multi-billion dollar project for. While such differences can be papered over during a time when North Korea has been relatively quiet, future provocations by Pyongyang will stress test Washington鈥檚 and Seoul鈥檚 ability to stay in lock-step.

Barely mentioned during the Biden-Moon press conference was an by Seoul and Washington to list U.S. restrictions on South Korean missile ranges that had previously limited South Korean missiles to a range of 800 kilometers. This is a win for all sides. For Moon, it achieved his party鈥檚 progressive objective to enhance South Korea鈥檚 sovereignty and his conservative opponents鈥� goal for more robust military capabilities. Yet it also reflected adjustments to U.S. strategy, which now are less concerned with the potentially disruptive effects of South Korea鈥檚 missile capabilities (especially in the face of North Korea鈥檚 progress in this area), and are more concerned with presenting China鈥檚 military planners with a more complex and challenging security environment.

As the United States continues to shift its focus toward competing effectively with China, South Korea will be forced to reconcile the interests of its ally with fears of retaliation from Beijing.

China will remain a delicate issue for the allies to navigate. On Friday, the two presidents reinforced U.S. and South Korean commitment 鈥渢o expanding cooperation and shaping our shared future in accordance with our democratic values that have made our nations strong and agile and highly competitive in the 21st century economies.鈥� The language, particularly the emphasis on 鈥渄emocratic values,鈥� could be seen as an oblique alignment against the rise and influence of China. As the United States continues to shift its focus toward competing effectively with China, South Korea will be forced to reconcile the interests of its ally with fears of retaliation from Beijing.

The presidents鈥� announcement of a raft of joint initiatives highlighted U.S. efforts to align allies in the mission to re-establish global leadership 鈥� and perhaps to counter China鈥檚 rise. That included pledges to strengthen cybersecurity, space, green energy, and cooperating to build an open and secure 5G network 鈥� an implicit comparison to China鈥檚 5G initiative 鈥� as well as 6G technologies, and to jointly strengthen secure supply chains in the production of semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and electric vehicle batteries. They also announced plans for the United States to provide and to establish a 鈥�,鈥� in which South Korea鈥檚 production capabilities would be supported by U.S. vaccine technologies to boost global vaccine supply.

The summit also coincided with the announcement that some of South Korea鈥檚 largest and most prominent corporations 鈥� including Samsung, Hyundai, SK, and LG 鈥� would make more than $25 billion of new investments in the United States. Indeed, after the summit to visit a new SK electric vehicle battery production plant 鈥� which promises to bring at least 2,600 jobs and $2.6 billion to the Atlanta area. SK also announced jointly with Ford Motors plans to support a $5.3 billion joint venture to build two new battery plants in the United States, and Hyundai has to invest $7.4 billion into mobility initiatives including upgrades to facilities that will be producing electric vehicles.

For South Korea, it was a moment to step into a larger role on the global stage. Moon鈥檚 visit served as an opportunity for South Korea to show off its in the global pandemic and for South Korean businesses to show they have the capability, commitment and vision to fill a gap in the supply chain.

Last week, we were reminded of the history of the US-South Korean alliance. With President Moon in the audience, President Biden to the legendary Col. Ralph Puckett, Jr. 鈥� emphasizing the shared history of an alliance whose motto is 鈥渨e go together.鈥� The ceremony was not only a moving tale of heroism but also a vivid reminder of the shared history of war that underpins the relationship between South Korea and the United States. The moment served as a reminder that this conflict, , remains unresolved, serving to reinforce the need to maintain readiness against potential aggression from its Korean War adversaries.

But I think we also saw in the summit a recognition of since the devastation of the Korean War as well as the transformation of its role as a poor country in need to its position today as an advanced nation capable of giving back to the United States, and allies, in spades.

Highlighting South Korea鈥檚 growth and influence is a show of the power of an alliance with the United States and the result of investment in that relationship. South Korea can also serve as a role model for countless developing nations, particularly across Asia and the Indo-Pacific, seeking to make a similar economic transformation.

And that is a message that the Biden Administration will want to promote across the Indo-Pacific and beyond as part of the larger strategy to bring nations on board with the U.S. vision of democracy and global leadership.

is director of the and co-host of the podcast on the BBC. Follow her on and @newsjean.

The views expressed are the author's alone, and do not represent the views of the U.S. Government or the 浪花直播 Center. Copyright 2020, Asia Program. All rights reserved.