US official: Asia of paramount importance, to continue pursuing regional partnerships

United States Undersecretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby on Monday maintained that Washington considers Asia of paramount importance as it continues to pursue partnerships with the region’s nations.

Colby issued the remarks during an event hosted by the Stratbase Institute.

In his speech, Colby said the Indo-Pacific region will become the “world’s largest market.”

“It is where not only scale is, but growth as well, including especially here in ASEAN,” he said.

“Across the region, from Manila to Bangkok, from Jakarta to Phnom Penh, we are pursuing ambitious, interest-based partnerships that respect national sovereignty and directly contribute to collective deterrence,” he added.

Meanwhile, the alliance between the United States and the Philippines is “undergoing a historic modernization” rooted in profound mutual respect, according to Colby.

The War Department official said they are co-investing in resilient infrastructure and operationalizing Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites.

“This is not a one-sided partnership. The Philippines is stepping up, taking the lead to defend itself, and investing more to modernize its military and coast guard,” he said.

“We are backing up those investments with concrete, visible support, including the rotational deployment of four Fast Response Cutters to actively partner with the Philippine Coast Guard in patrolling and securing its Exclusive Economic Zone,” he added.

He said that through this, the governments are ensuring that both countries have the capabilities required to “deter aggression.”

Present at the event were Defense spokesperson Aresnio Andolong, Defense Undersecretary Fabian Pedregosa, West Philippine Sea spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, and officials of the National Security Council, among others. —RF, GMA News