Pentagon official asks Asian allies to invest more in defense to deter aggression

On Monday in Manila, a senior Pentagon official urged Asian allies to increase their defense investments to help deter regional aggression. Elbridge Colby, serving as an undersecretary, emphasized that the United States remains committed to collaborating with regional allies as "partners, not protectorates."

The call for heightened defense spending aims to strengthen security cooperation and collective deterrence capabilities within the region against potential threats, highlighting a strategic push by the U.S. for greater burden-sharing among its Asian allies.