Global Markets
Home›Global Markets›Trade & Tariffs›US defence official avoids South China Sea points in M…
US defence official avoids South China Sea points in Manila speech
Colby said the US was not leaving Asia, and two days earlier Washington had criticized Beijing over access for Filipino fishermen near Scarborough Shoal.
US Undersecretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby avoided naming Beijing and did not directly address escalating tensions in the South China Sea during a speech in Manila on Monday, setting a measured tone ahead of an expected meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, according to SCMP Economy.
Colby, speaking at a Manila think tank, did not reference recent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine forces near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, and instead sought to reassure regional allies that the United States was “definitely not disengaging from Asia.”
He said, “We are not leaving; in fact, we are digging in, to ensure a favourable balance of power where it matters most.”
SCMP Economy noted the omission was notable because Washington had criticized Beijing two days earlier over actions described as “destabilising” around a nature reserve at the reef and over denying Filipino fishermen access to traditional fishing grounds.