A senior Pentagon official urged Asian allies on Monday to increase their defense investments to help deter regional aggression, emphasizing that the United States seeks to build a network of capable, sovereign nations rather than act as a sole guarantor of security.
Elbridge Colby, an undersecretary of defense, made these remarks in Manila, Philippines, during the first stop of his Southeast Asian tour, which also includes visits to Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia. He reiterated U.S. commitments to the region, assuring allies that despite current preoccupations in the Middle East, Washington remains engaged in Asia.
"America is definitely not disengaging from Asia — to the contrary. Our vital national interests dictate our enduring presence here," Colby stated at a forum attended by diplomats, military officials, business leaders, and journalists. "We are not leaving; in fact, we are digging in, to ensure a favorable balance of power where it matters most. We see Asia as of paramount importance."
Colby’s remarks focused on the need for a shared defense architecture in the Western Pacific. He echoed a commitment made by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, vowing to build and sustain a strong defense posture that makes aggression infeasible and conflict unattractive.
"Yet this defense architecture cannot rest on American shoulders alone. It must be upheld by a network of highly capable, sovereign nations that have modernized their own forces and stepped up to secure their own territory — transforming our relationships into true partnerships of equals," Colby explained. "When we ask our allies and partners to step up, to invest more in their own defense and to take responsibility for their own sovereign security, we are not signaling abandonment. We are looking for partners, not protectorates."
The official noted that the U.S. is committed to maintaining "combat-credible power where it matters most." He also commended the defense enhancement efforts of the Philippines, which conducts large-scale combat exercises with U.S. forces annually, and similar initiatives by security allies in Southeast Asia such as Thailand and Indonesia.
Colby largely avoided direct criticism of China's increasing assertiveness in the region, a common theme in U.S. policy discussions. However, the U.S. has consistently expressed concern over Beijing's actions toward Philippine forces in the South China Sea. Washington maintains its treaty obligation to defend the Philippines, its oldest Asian ally, in the event of an armed attack.
The South China Sea, a crucial global trade route, has been the site of decades-long territorial disputes involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly the entire waterway, disregarding a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated its expansive claims, a ruling initiated by the Philippines.