US defence chiefs tour Asia to calm fears as Trump’s drill remarks sow doubts

The visits by Admiral Frank Bradley and Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby were intended to show that Washington was still invested in the Indo-Pacific, according to analysts.

But the comments by Bradley and Colby have been complicated by Trump’s suggestion that the US military should “substantially reduce” the drills held in South Korea.

Bradley, commander of the US Special Operations Command, said during a visit to Manila on Thursday that American special operations forces were ready to expand military exercises with their counterparts in the Philippines and other Asian countries to strengthen deterrence and boost security alliances, according to a report by Associated Press.

“The best way to deter conflict is by being able to demonstrate convincingly to any adversary who may want to start a conflict that they won’t be able to win it,” Bradley said.

The US official had travelled to Manila from Seoul and visited Tokyo on Monday to meet Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.