US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby said the United States is “digging in” to maintain a favorable balance of power across the Indo-Pacific region, rejecting claims of disengagement from Asia [1]. His remarks came during a trip starting in the Philippines and continuing to Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia [1, 2, 3]. Colby told audiences, “America is definitely not disengaging from Asia. We are not leaving; in fact, we are digging in, to ensure a favourable balance of power where it matters most” [1].
The US strategy focuses on deterrence by denial along the First Island Chain stretching from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines, and down to Borneo [1, 2, 3]. Colby stressed a shift from symbolic presence toward materially capable forward deployments and security cooperation, strengthening allied military infrastructure and training [4, 5, 6]. The US-Philippines alliance is undergoing what he called a “historic modernization” through joint investments in resilient infrastructure, advanced training, and operationalizing Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites [4, 5, 6].
Colby urged regional partners to take greater responsibility for their security, arguing the goal is “partners, not protectorates” [1, 2, 3]. He said, “When we ask our allies and partners to step up, to invest more in their own defence, and to take responsibility for their own sovereign security, we are not signalling abandonment. We are looking for partners, not protectorates” [2]. He added, “夥伴越強大，嚇阻力就越強大” — the stronger the partners, the stronger the deterrence [4].
The US is also supporting countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia through a “flexible realism” approach focused on practical defense cooperation over ideology [7, 4, 6]. Colby acknowledged China's rapid military modernization and said the US aims to deter any regional hegemon through a strong, quiet military posture paired with regional partnerships [8]. The current US defense budget request to Congress is $1.5 trillion to sustain and enhance military capabilities [8].
Colby’s visit to Manila on August 10 featured speeches reiterating US commitment and announcing further visits to Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia[s1–s12]. His tour signals ongoing US efforts to deepen alliances and build resilient defense architectures across key Indo-Pacific nations.
