MANILA — The United States is not disengaging from Asia but is instead "digging in" to maintain a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, a senior Pentagon official said on Monday, August 10, 2026.
Elbridge Colby, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, delivered a speech in Manila reaffirming the US commitment to the region amid concerns about Washington's reliability. He called for greater burden-sharing among allies and emphasized "partnership, not dependency."
"America is definitely not disengaging from Asia," Colby stated. "We are not leaving; in fact, we are digging in, to ensure a favorable balance of power where it matters most."
Colby highlighted the strategic importance of maintaining deterrence along the First Island Chain — a region stretching from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines, and Borneo — and noted a growing US military presence in the area.
However, he stressed that the strategy could not rely solely on American forces. "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," Colby said. "When our partners are strong, deterrence is strong."
The Philippines, the United States' oldest treaty ally in Asia, was the first stop on Colby's Southeast Asian tour, which will also include visits to Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia.
"We are looking for partners, not protectorates," Colby added, underscoring the US approach to regional security cooperation.
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