U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary: "Asia Is the Top Priority... Warns 'Middle Power Alliances' Are Delusional"

Security Commitments Reaffirmed
Pressure Mounts for Increased Defense Burden-Sharing

Elbridge Colby, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy, reaffirmed the United States' security commitments to Asia while also pressing allied countries to increase their share of defense spending. In particular, he went so far as to use the word "delusion" in issuing a public warning against the so-called "middle power alliance" initiatives that seek to exclude or replace the United States.

Yonhap News Agency

According to the U.S. Department of Defense on August 10 (local time), Deputy Assistant Secretary Colby said in a speech at the Stratbase Institute in Manila, Philippines, that "The United States is clearly not pulling out of Asia," adding, "We are not leaving, but rather, we are becoming more deeply rooted in the region."

He emphasized, "We view Asia as a top priority," and noted, "The United States' longstanding view of an Asia not dominated by any single power has been a central tenet of our regional strategy since the nation's founding."

Referring to the U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS), Deputy Assistant Secretary Colby stated that America's objective in the Indo-Pacific is to maintain "a favorable balance of power."

To achieve this, he explained that the U.S. and its allies must establish a posture of "deterrence by denial" along the first island chain that links Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, to preemptively thwart an adversary's attacks. Although he did not mention China by name, he effectively reaffirmed the existing strategy to deter China's expansion into the western Pacific.

However, Deputy Assistant Secretary Colby emphasized that this defense system cannot rely solely on U.S. military power. He said, "Urging allies and partners to invest more in their own defense and to take responsibility for their sovereign security does not signal that the United States intends to abandon them," and added, "We want partners, not protectorates."

He continued, “Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, countries can no longer take the United States for granted,” urging allies to increase their contributions, including expanded defense spending.

He argued that although the United States is now making stronger demands than in the past, this does not mean it is abandoning its allies or withdrawing from Asia. Reuters also assessed that Deputy Assistant Secretary Colby's remarks simultaneously sought to alleviate concerns over U.S. credibility in the region while demanding that allies shoulder more of the burden.

Colby was especially critical of security cooperation initiatives centered on middle powers that exclude the United States. He asserted, "We must abandon the delusion of fashionable yet superficial initiatives such as middle power alliances designed specifically to exclude the United States." However, he clarified that he encourages cooperation among allies and partners, as long as such cooperation complements and integrates with U.S. capabilities, emphasizing that it should not be aimed at replacing the United States.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Colby also underscored that recent multilateral security cooperation among middle powers should be judged by whether it actually results in a strengthening of military capabilities. He stated, "Signed documents or newly established working groups do not deter coercion," arguing that actual deployed military power and the political will to use it are what constitute credible deterrence.

At the same time, he reaffirmed the intention to expand the role of allied countries in the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy aimed at countering China. Deputy Assistant Secretary Colby stated that while the United States would maintain combat-capable forces along the first island chain, "This defense system cannot rest solely on America’s shoulders," emphasizing that each country must modernize its military and take a more active role in defending its own territory.

This trip to the Philippines marked Deputy Assistant Secretary Colby's first official visit to Southeast Asia since taking office. Starting with the Philippines, he plans to visit Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, and other countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.