Pentagon Official Says U.S. Won't Retreat from Asia

US Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby. (Wikimedia Commons/US Army/Sgt. Daniela Lechuga Liggio)

JAKARTA - Senior Pentagon officials on Monday said the United States would not withdraw from Asia, but rather "strengthen its foothold" to maintain a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region, but the US also wants its partners to bear greater responsibility for their own defense.

In an effort to allay concerns about Washington's reliability, Deputy Defense Secretary for Policy Elbridge Colby reaffirmed US interests in the region, while calling for a greater burden-sharing and a spirit of "partnership, not dependence."

"America will definitely not retreat from Asia," Secretary of State Colby said in a speech in Manila, Philippines, launching Al Arabiya from Reuters (10/8).

"We will not leave; on the contrary, we are strengthening our foothold to ensure a favorable balance of power in the most crucial areas," he continued.

The Philippines, a treaty ally of the United States in Asia, is the first stop in Secretary of State Antony Blinken's tour of Southeast Asia, which also includes Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia.

Secretary of State Colby stated that maintaining a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific requires "a posture of deterrence through denial along the First Island Chain," while highlighting what he called an increase in US military commitments in the region.

The term First Island Chain refers to the region stretching from Japan to Taiwan, the Philippines, and Borneo.

"This strategy cannot rely solely on American strength," he said, stressing that allied countries need to invest more in their own security.

"When we ask our allies and partners to be more active, invest more in their own defense, and assume responsibility for the security of their sovereignty, we absolutely do not intend to abandon them," Colby said.

"We are looking for partners, not protectorates," the US Secretary of State urged.

"When our partners are strong, then the deterrent power is also strong," he added.