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    Illustration: Liu Rui/GTUS Pentagon official Elbridge Colby's latest Manila speech, in which he called on allies to "invest more" in their own defense and stressed that Washington wants "partners, not protectorates," has drawn attention from some Philippine media. Colby's claims also expose the fragility of the Manila-Washington alliance and Washington's push to enlist "Indo-Pacific" allies in serving its own strategic interests, a Chinese expert said, warning that the Philippines, by placing itself on the front line of provocations against China, risks being a geopolitical pawn left to bear the consequences on its own.
While delivering a speech at the Stratbase Institute in Manila, Philippines, on Monday, Colby, the Under Secretary of War for Policy, laid out the US' so-called "flexible realism" approach to the Indo-Pacific, stressing that the US is "definitely not disengaging from Asia" but strengthening its forward posture and seeking to build a "denial defense" along the First Island Chain, according to a transcript of the speech released on the US Department of War website.
At the same time, he called on US allies and partners to step up, invest more in their own defense, and take responsibility for their own sovereign security. "We are looking for partners, not protectorates," Colby claimed.
The claims have drawn attention from some Philippine media outlets, with some linking them to the South China Sea issue. However, the transcript of Colby's speech showed that he did not mention China, the Global Times found. 
A Manila Bulletin report noted that after calling on allies to invest more in defense, Colby cited the Philippines as an example of the "kind of partner Washington wants to work with." He praised Manila for "strengthening its military and coast guard capabilities while deepening operational cooperation with the US" amid what the report described as China's "aggression" in the South China Sea.
Colby's visit to Manila marked his first official trip to Southeast Asia as an undersecretary under the Trump administration. He is scheduled to travel from Manila to Jakarta, Indonesia; Bangkok, Thailand; and Phnom Penh, Cambodia, said the report.
Meanwhile, a Manila Standard report interpreted Colby's remarks as showing that "the US is working closely with the Philippines" to strengthen Manila's military capabilities and protect its sovereign rights in the South China Sea, despite the fact that Colby did not mention China in his speech.
The US appears to be adopting a more retrenchment-style approach, shifting from leading directly to relying on regional allies to take the frontline role while providing support. This approach allows Washington to advance its interests while lowering its own costs, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times.
Song noted that Washington seeks to use repeated maritime frictions to tie down Chinese resources, which helps explain Colby's praise for Manila: the Philippines bears part of Washington's strategic burden while receiving largely rhetorical US support.
A South China Morning Post report on Tuesday noted that Colby avoided mentioning the recent disputes over Huangyan Dao, despite Washington having criticized China's establishment of a nature reserve there just two days earlier. The report described the omission as a "measured tone" ahead of a potential meeting between the Chinese and US leaders.
Washington's primary concern is its own interests. At the core of its "Indo-Pacific strategy" is strengthening its alliance network by pushing partners such as the Philippines to shoulder greater security burdens in pursuit of US strategic goals. As US-China diplomatic dynamics evolve, countries serving as Washington's geopolitical spearheads in confrontations with China risk being left behind, said some observers.
Song noted that this also reveals the fragility of the US-Philippine relationship.
The US has encouraged the Philippines to take the front line in confrontations with China while offering mostly rhetorical support. Should tensions escalate, Manila would bear much of the cost on its own, said the expert. 
。    　　中新社呼和浩特8月22日电 (记者 刘文华)2026绿色算力(人工智能)大会22日在内蒙古自治区呼和浩特市举行，院士专家、产业链企业代表等500余人参会，大会集中签约13个项目，签约项目总投资额1361亿元(人民币)。

B | 　　内蒙古是全国一体化算力网络国家枢纽节点。本次签约的13个项目分落呼和浩特、乌兰察布两地，其中呼和浩特签约8个项目，包括火山引擎GW级园区、寒武纪芯片实验室、海悟算力装备产业园等；乌兰察布签约5个项目，包括火山引擎GW级算力中心、协鑫能科算电协同一体化项目、中国电信数据中心等。　　区别于传统数据中心单纯扩容模式，本次签约的项目实现算力产业链全链条延伸，覆盖上中下游关键环节：上游补齐芯片检测、算力装备制造硬件短板；中游夯实算力中心、算电协同核心配套；下游布局词元交易、人工智能场景应用。这也标志着内蒙古算力产业正式告别单一“机房+电力”的基础服务模式，向完整、闭环的算力全产业链升级。　　本届大会还发布了《绿色算力发展研究报告(2026 年)》《“东数西算” 枢纽节点绿色算力指数研究报告(2026 年)》等权威研究成果，集中亮相国家首批可信数据空间、城域 “毫秒用算”、人工智能应用场景、绿电基础设施等一批试点建设成果，启动数字服务出海综合服务平台，全国视频大模型算力基地正式落成。