Scarborough Shoal: A Calculated Silence in Manila US Undersecretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby's recent speech in Manila was notable not just for what he said, but also for what he didn't say.
In a deliberate choice that has raised eyebrows among analysts and regional observers, Colby avoided mentioning the Scarborough Shoal, a disputed territory in the South China Sea where tensions between Chinese and Philippine forces have been escalating.
This omission is striking given the timing of the speech. Just two days earlier, Washington had criticized Beijing for its actions at the reef, calling them "destabilising".