U.S. Says It Is “Digging In” to Preserve Indo-Pacific Balance of Power

On August 10, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby told an audience in Manila that Washington is “digging in” to maintain a favourable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. He emphasized that the United States is not withdrawing from the region and that the trip will continue to Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia after the stop in the Philippines, America’s longest-standing treaty ally in Asia.

South China Morning Post

Colby framed the U.S. posture as a “deterrence by denial” strategy along the First Island Chain—the maritime line extending from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines and Borneo. He argued that a credible balance of power cannot rely solely on American forces; regional partners must increase their own defence investments to share the burden of security.

The Straits Times

In his Manila remarks, Colby said the United States seeks “partnership, not dependency.” The official narrative positions the call for greater burden-sharing as a means to strengthen collective deterrence rather than signal a reduction in U.S. commitment.

The Straits Times

• “America is definitely not disengaging from Asia,” — Policy Elbridge Colby

The Straits Times

• “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,” — Policy Elbridge Colby

The Straits Times