Colby pushes back on dwindling stockpile reports amid Southeast Asia tour

MANILA, Philippines — A senior Pentagon official pushed back against reports that the U.S. military’s stockpiles and capabilities are strained following Operation Epic Fury, while reaffirming Washington’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific amid China’s increasingly assertive military activity in the South China Sea.

Department of War Undersecretary for Policy Elbridge Colby made the remarks in Manila on Monday amid growing concerns that China has been narrowing the gap — or eclipsing — U.S. military capabilities, as its demands in the Middle East have potentially drained stockpiles.

“There’s been a lot of news about the United States military being stretched. Please don’t be misinformed,” Colby told Manila’s defense and security elites at a closed-door event organized by the Stratbase Institute think tank.

“The United States military, and especially including those [maritime and aerospace] capabilities, are ready and capable of filling the priority missions that the president has given to them,” Colby said.

Colby, one of the Pentagon’s leading strategists, has pushed to prioritize the Indo-Pacific and East Asia over the Middle East and Europe. The Manila stop is the first in a week-long Southeast Asian tour that includes visits to Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia.

His visit also comes amid an increasingly tense period between Manila and Beijing following a confrontation in Second Thomas Shoal on July 20, when Chinese personnel hit and wounded a Philippine Navy sailor in the head.

The incident triggered another tit-for-tat between Manila and Beijing over the contents of a highly classified “provisional agreement” reportedly signed in 2024 that allows Philippine vessels to safely deliver supplies to troops stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre floating outpost.

After last month’s incident, officials noted that China has appeared more assertive, indicating a shift in how China perceives the implications of the mutual defense treaty.

Tensions have also intensified as China has routinely deployed carrier strike groups in the West Philippine Sea, and last month, fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile toward the Pacific.

While military deterrence forms one component of the U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific, Washington is employing a “strategy of strong, clear, but quiet” action designed to address the challenge without altering the status quo, according to Colby.

“In terms of our relationship with China, I think we’ve been able to communicate…our approach directly to Chinese counterparts,” Colby said.

“We combine a clear diplomatic line, a policy of respect towards the People’s Republic [of China], clarity about…our being in favor of the status quo, along with…strength in terms of being willing to defend our interests and those of our allies like the Philippines,” he added.

Apart from strengthening the U.S.’ forward posture and fielding combat-credible forces, Colby noted that measures are being set up, albeit quietly, to allow for the U.S. to come to the Philippines’ aid.

Colby described the U.S. approach to the region as “defensive” and “aligns with the interests of regional states.”

“We’re not trying to dominate this whole region. It’s a strategy of denial, designed to deny any state the ability to become the regional hegemon,” Colby said.

The visit comes a week after the Pacific Command and the Philippine armed forces signed an eight-point partnership plan for 2027, which includes an undisclosed series of joint military exercises, and before President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the U.S. in September.

“If you are trying to project power, whoever you are, into the aerospace and maritime environment in the Indo-Pacific, you are going to come up against the very best military in the world at its apex predator status,” Colby concluded.

菲律宾马尼拉——五角大楼一位高级官员驳斥了有关“史诗狂怒行动”后美军库存和能力紧张的报道，同时重申了华盛顿对印太地区的承诺，以应对中国在南海日益强硬的军事活动。

美国陆军部政策副部长埃尔布里奇·科尔比周一在马尼拉发表了上述言论。此前，人们越来越担心，随着中国在中东的需求可能耗尽了美国的军事储备，中国正在缩小与美国的军事能力差距，甚至超越美国。

“关于美国军力捉襟见肘的新闻有很多。请不要被误导，”科尔比在由战略基地研究所智库组织的一次闭门活动上对马尼拉的国防和安全精英们说道。

科尔比说：“美国军队，特别是包括海上和航空航天能力在内的军队，已经做好准备，能够完成总统交给他们的优先任务。”

科尔比是五角大楼的首席战略家之一，他一直力主将印太地区和东亚置于中东和欧洲之上。此次马尼拉之行是他为期一周的东南亚之行的第一站，之后还将访问印度尼西亚、泰国和柬埔寨。

此次访问正值马尼拉和北京之间局势日益紧张之际。此前，7 月 20 日在仁爱礁发生冲突，中国人员击中并致一名菲律宾海军水兵头部受伤。

该事件引发了马尼拉和北京之间就一项高度机密的“临时协议”的内容展开的另一场针锋相对的争论。据报道，该协议于 2024 年签署，允许菲律宾船只安全地向驻扎在 BRP Sierra Madre 浮动哨所上的部队运送补给。

上个月的事件发生后，官员们注意到中国的态度变得更加强硬，这表明中国对共同防御条约的影响的看法发生了转变。

随着中国频繁在西菲律宾海部署航母打击群，以及上个月向太平洋发射潜射弹道导弹，紧张局势也进一步加剧。

科尔比表示，虽然军事威慑是美国在印太地区战略的一个组成部分，但华盛顿正在采取“强硬、明确但低调”的行动战略，旨在应对挑战而不改变现状。

科尔比说：“就我们与中国的关系而言，我认为我们已经能够直接与中国同行沟通……我们的方法。”

他补充说：“我们采取了明确的外交路线，对中华人民共和国持尊重态度，明确表示我们支持现状，同时又展现出捍卫我们自身利益以及像菲律宾这样的盟友利益的决心。”

除了加强美国的前沿部署和部署具有作战能力的部队外，科尔比还指出，美国正在悄悄地采取措施，以便向菲律宾提供援助。

科尔比将美国对该地区的做法描述为“防御性的”，并且“符合该地区国家的利益”。

科尔比说：“我们并非试图主宰整个地区。这是一种阻止任何国家成为地区霸主的策略。”

此次访问发生在太平洋司令部和菲律宾武装部队签署2027年八点伙伴关系计划一周后，该计划包括一系列未公开的联合军事演习；也发生在习近平主席9月对美国进行国事访问之前。

科尔比总结道：“如果你想在印太地区的航空航天和海洋环境中投射力量，无论你是谁，你都将遭遇世界上最强大的军队，而这支军队正处于其顶级掠食者的地位。”