US 'digging in' to Asia but wants 'partners not dependency': Pentagon

At a think-tank event in Manila on Monday, Elbridge Colby, the US Undersecretary of Defence for Policy, asserted that the United States is not disengaging from Asia but is instead 'digging in' to maintain a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. Colby emphasized the need for greater burden-sharing among allies, calling for 'partnership, not dependency.' He reiterated Washington's commitment to the region, countering concerns about its reliability. The Philippines, the oldest US treaty ally in Asia, is the first stop on Colby's Southeast Asian trip, which will also take him to Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia. Colby stated that maintaining a favorable balance of power requires a 'posture of deterrence by denial along the first island chain' and pointed to a growing US military commitment in the region. The remarks come amid ongoing military exercises, such as those involving the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, highlighting the US's active presence.