US not disengaging from Asia, seeks ‘partners, not protectorates,’ says Pentagon official
A senior Pentagon official stated that the US remains committed to the Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing a strategy of deterrence through partnerships rather than protectorates. The official urged allies to increase their own defense investments to maintain a favorable balance of power.
Why it matters
This signals a shift in US foreign policy toward burden-sharing with regional allies to counter geopolitical influence in the First Island Chain.
MANILA, Aug 10 (Reuters) – The United States is not disengaging from Asia and is instead “digging in” to maintain a favourable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, but wants its partners to shoulder more responsibility for their defence, a senior Pentagon official said on Monday.
Seeking to counter concerns about Washington’s reliability, Elbridge Colby, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, reiterated the U.S. interest in the region as he called for greater burden-sharing and “partnership, not dependency”.
“America is definitely not disengaging from Asia,” Colby said in a speech in Manila. “We are not leaving; in fact, we are digging in, to ensure a favourable balance of power where it matters most.”
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