Pentagon Urges Asian Allies to Spend More on Defense as U.S. Vows It Is Not Leaving Asia
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 11
Pentagon Urges Asian Allies to Spend More on Defense as U.S. Vows It Is Not Leaving Asia
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 11
Summary
In Manila, Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby urged Asian allies to invest more in their own militaries, saying regional deterrence cannot rest on American shoulders alone.
Colby framed the push as burden-sharing, not retrenchment, insisting the U.S. is “digging in” in Asia despite its current focus on the Iran war and the Middle East.
He said Washington wants “partners, not protectorates” and repeated a May pledge to sustain combat-credible power in the Western Pacific so aggression becomes infeasible and war irrational.
The appeal comes as tensions persist in the South China Sea, where the U.S. has repeatedly warned it would defend the Philippines if its forces, ships or aircraft were attacked.
As Asian nations build independent alliances to counter gray-zone threats, is the Pentagon creating equal partners or quietly preparing a regional exit?
With maritime clashes spiking in 2026, can a decentralized web of Asian militaries truly deter aggression without relying entirely on American firepower?
Could pushing Indo-Pacific allies to rapidly arm themselves accidentally trigger the exact regional arms race the military is trying to prevent?