2026年全国乒乓球锦标赛正在火热进行，马龙和许昕二人重返赛场不仅吸引了众多国内球迷的目光，也成为外媒关注的焦点。         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. 
。日媒在报道中提到，合计年龄达到74岁的传奇组合马龙和许昕出战全国乒乓球锦标赛，引爆赛场氛围，两人曾三次夺得世乒赛冠军，在世界乒坛留下了一段传奇佳话。

二 | 在男双1/16决赛中，马龙和许昕以3-0战胜严升和蔡顺航，获得开门红！顺利拿下比赛后，马龙和许昕在赛后看上去心情不错。马龙在接受采访时就网络上“龙蟒组合重返赛场是因国家队征召”的传闻进行了辟谣。他透露，自己参赛的初衷是孩子想看自己打比赛，在单打竞争力有限的情况下，正好有参加双打项目的机会，所以邀约许昕搭档，同时也为了延续心中那份对乒乓球的热爱。下一轮，马龙和许昕将与周冠宏和于海洋交手。两人均表示，希望能发挥得更好一点。针对马龙与许昕时隔多年再度搭档出战男双一事，日媒也特意进行了报道。

三 | 文中提到，全国乒乓球锦标赛于1952年创办，至今已拥有74年的历史，本届赛事是历史首次将双打项目单独设项展开角逐。此前，中国乒坛重点发展奥运正式项目男女混双，2022和2023两届全锦赛双打赛事仅有混双，而在2028洛杉矶奥运会乒乓球项目确定恢复男双、女双后，全锦赛也重新增设男女双打项目。在日媒看来，本届比赛男双赛场的最大看点是38岁的马龙和36岁的许昕再度搭档参赛。

四 | 伦敦、里约和东京奥运周期，马龙和许昕是国乒男双的王牌组合，两人依靠出色的个人技术和默契配合，在2011、2015、2019三届世乒赛夺得男双冠军。而在全锦赛赛场，“龙蟒组合”也登顶过冠军领奖台。此前的伦敦世乒赛，马龙、许昕曾加入国乒男队训练组，帮助几位参赛的年轻球员补强短板、提升状态。最终，以王楚钦、林诗栋、周启豪等组成的中国队在决赛中战胜日本队，马龙和许昕功不可没。本次全锦赛，马龙邀请许昕搭档参加男双比赛。

五 | 正赛首轮，龙蟒组合的对手是蔡顺航和严升。有球迷发现，马龙妻子带着两个儿子在场边观赛。最终，龙蟒组合以3-0击败对手，晋级16强。赛后，有记者问许昕“这场比赛打爽了吗？”许昕笑着回应：“爽吗？还差点意思！”一起期待“龙蟒组合”更加精彩的表现！