The United States has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific, dismissing concerns that Washington is scaling back its role in Asia while urging regional allies to take on greater responsibility for their own defence amid growing geopolitical competition.
Speaking in Manila on Monday, US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby said the United States was “not disengaging” from Asia but instead strengthening its military and strategic presence to preserve a favourable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.
His remarks come as Washington seeks to reassure allies unsettled by questions over long-term US commitments while simultaneously encouraging partner nations to increase defence spending and military capabilities.
“America is definitely not disengaging from Asia,” Colby said during his address. “We are not leaving; in fact, we are digging in, to ensure a favourable balance of power where it matters most.”
The Philippines, America’s oldest treaty ally in Asia, is the first destination on Colby’s Southeast Asian tour, which will also include Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia. The visit underscores the Pentagon’s continuing diplomatic and military engagement with a region that has become central to US strategic planning.
Colby’s speech highlighted that the Indo-Pacific continues to occupy the highest strategic priority for the United States, reflecting Washington’s assessment that the region will shape global security and economic dynamics in the coming decades.
Successive US administrations have increasingly shifted military resources, diplomatic attention and defence planning toward Asia in response to China’s rapidly expanding military capabilities and growing influence across the region.
Although Washington has repeatedly stated that it does not seek conflict with Beijing, American defence officials have consistently argued that maintaining military deterrence is essential to preserving regional stability and preventing coercion against US allies and partners.
Colby said preserving a favourable balance of power requires sustained American engagement backed by credible military capabilities.
He argued that US forces would continue playing a leading role in regional security while working more closely with allies capable of contributing more significantly to collective deterrence.
A central element of Colby’s remarks focused on the concept of the “First Island Chain,” a geographic arc stretching from Japan through Taiwan and the Philippines to Borneo.
For decades, American defence planners have viewed this chain of islands as strategically important because it forms a natural barrier separating the western Pacific from China’s coastal waters.
According to Colby, maintaining what he described as a “posture of deterrence by denial” along this island chain is critical to preventing military aggression and preserving freedom of navigation in one of the world’s busiest maritime regions.
Rather than relying solely on the deployment of additional American military forces, he stressed that effective deterrence depends on stronger regional defence capabilities among US allies.
He pointed to what he described as an expanding US military commitment across the Indo-Pacific, including enhanced cooperation, rotational deployments, joint military exercises and closer security coordination with regional partners.
While reaffirming Washington’s commitment, Colby delivered a clear message that allies must assume greater responsibility for protecting their own sovereignty.
He rejected suggestions that American calls for increased defence spending represent a weakening of US security commitments.
“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 signaling abandonment,” Colby said.
Instead, he characterised the evolving US approach as one built on equal partnerships rather than dependence.
“We are looking for partners, not protectorates,” he said.
According to Colby, stronger national militaries among US allies ultimately strengthen regional deterrence by making potential military aggression more costly and less likely to succeed.
“When our partners are strong, deterrence is strong,” he added.
The remarks reflect an increasingly prominent theme in US defence policy, with Washington encouraging allied nations to modernise their armed forces, expand defence budgets and improve interoperability with American military forces.
Colby’s visit to Manila highlights the growing importance of the Philippines in Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
The United States and the Philippines are bound by a long-standing Mutual Defense Treaty, which commits both countries to assist one another in the event of an armed attack in the Pacific.
Security cooperation between the two allies has expanded significantly in recent years.
Joint military exercises have grown in both scale and complexity, while the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) has allowed greater US access to selected Philippine military facilities.
The Philippines occupies a strategically significant location along the First Island Chain and near the South China Sea, making it an important partner for American regional security planning.
Manila has also strengthened defence cooperation with several other partners, including Japan and Australia, as concerns about maritime security continue to grow.
Following his meetings in the Philippines, Colby is scheduled to travel to Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia.
The tour reflects Washington’s effort to deepen engagement across Southeast Asia, a region that has become increasingly important amid strategic competition between the United States and China.
Many Southeast Asian nations seek to maintain constructive relations with both major powers while avoiding being drawn into geopolitical rivalry.
US officials have repeatedly said that Washington respects the region’s strategic autonomy and aims to support a free, open and stable Indo-Pacific through partnerships based on shared interests.
The Pentagon has increasingly expanded defence dialogues, military training programmes and humanitarian cooperation throughout Southeast Asia in an effort to strengthen regional resilience.
Colby’s speech comes at a time when tensions remain elevated across several Indo-Pacific flashpoints, including the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
American officials have consistently maintained that their objective is not confrontation but deterrence—preventing conflict by ensuring that any potential military action would carry unacceptable costs.
The Pentagon has also argued that stronger alliances contribute to regional stability by reducing uncertainty and reinforcing established security arrangements.
At the same time, Washington continues to emphasise that competition with China should be managed responsibly to avoid unnecessary escalation.
Regional governments have generally welcomed continued US engagement while also seeking to preserve economic ties with Beijing, which remains the largest trading partner for many Southeast Asian countries.
Colby’s remarks illustrate the evolution of US alliance policy from one centred primarily on American military protection toward a more distributed model in which allies contribute greater capabilities alongside US forces.
Defence analysts say this approach reflects both the growing complexity of regional security challenges and the increasing military capabilities of US allies.
Countries such as Japan, Australia and the Philippines have all announced plans in recent years to expand defence spending, modernise military equipment and strengthen security cooperation with like-minded partners.
Washington views these developments as essential to building a more resilient regional security architecture capable of deterring aggression while reducing the burden on American forces.
As strategic competition intensifies across the Indo-Pacific, the United States appears determined to reassure allies that its long-term commitment to Asia remains unchanged while encouraging them to play a more active role in regional security.
Colby’s message sought to balance those two objectives: reaffirming America’s enduring military presence while making clear that future stability will depend on stronger, more capable partners.
His Southeast Asian tour is expected to include discussions on defence cooperation, military modernisation, regional deterrence and broader security challenges facing the Indo-Pacific.
