President Barack Obama made an unusual appearance in the Pentagon briefing room on Thursday to discuss Defense Department budget cuts. In his remarks, Obama talked about continuing to ramp up the United States’ presence in the Asia Pacific.

“We’ll be strengthening our presence in the Asia Pacific, and budget reductions will not come at the expense of this critical region,” Obama said, according to a copy of his prepared remarks provided by the White House.

Obama said that while the U.S. military “will be leaner,” the country will prioritize retaining its “military superiority.”