Southeast Asia Strategy Act

IIB 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1083 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES APRIL 20, 2021 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations AN ACT To require a strategy for engagement with Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Apr 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1083.RFS H1083 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 HR 1083 RFS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Southeast Asia Strat- 2 egy Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 4 Congress finds the following: 5 (1) Southeast Asia is the fulcrum of the Indo- 6 Pacific region, providing both a geographic and mar- 7 itime link between East and South Asia. 8 (2) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations 9 (ASEAN), a regional intergovernmental organiza- 10 tion, remains central to the Indo-Pacific region’s in- 11 stitutional architecture and to United States foreign 12 policy toward the region. 13 (3) The United States has reaffirmed that the 14 security and sovereignty of its Southeast Asian allies 15 and partners, including a strong, independent 16 ASEAN, remain vital to the prosperity and stability 17 of the Indo-Pacific region. 18 (4) The United States has committed to deepen 19 longstanding alliances and partnerships with a range 20 of Southeast Asian nations, including by promoting 21 our shared values, democracy, human rights, and 22 civil society. 23 (5) Since the end of the Second World War, 24 United States investments in strengthening alliances 25 and partnerships with Southeast Asian nations have 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Apr 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1083.RFS H1083 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 HR 1083 RFS yielded tremendous returns for United States inter- 1 ests, as working with and through these alliances 2 and partnerships have increased the region’s ability 3 to address common challenges. 4 (6) ASEAN member states are critical United 5 States security partners in protecting the freedom 6 and openness of the maritime domain and pre- 7 venting violent extremism and the trafficking of 8 weapons of mass destruction. 9 (7) ASEAN member states have contributed 10 significantly to regional disaster monitoring and 11 management and emergency response through initia- 12 tives such as the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for 13 Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management, 14 an inter-governmental organization that facilitates 15 coordination and cooperation among ASEAN mem- 16 ber states and international organizations in times 17 of emergency. 18 (8) According to the 2018 ASEAN Business 19 Outlook Survey, ASEAN member states are vital to 20 the prosperity of the United States economy and ex- 21 ports to ASEAN economies support more than 22 500,000 jobs in the United States. 23 (9) The United States and ASEAN have estab- 24 lished a new strategic partnership that will enhance 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Apr 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1083.RFS H1083 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 HR 1083 RFS cooperation across the economic, political-security, 1 and people-to-people pillars of the relationship. 2 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 3 It is the policy of the United States to— 4 (1) deepen cooperation with ASEAN and 5 ASEAN member states in the interest of promoting 6 peace, security, and stability in the Indo-Pacific re- 7 gion; 8 (2) affirm the importance of ASEAN centrality 9 and ASEAN-led mechanisms in the evolving institu- 10 tional architecture of the Indo-Pacific region; and 11 (3) establish and communicate a comprehensive 12 strategy toward the Indo-Pacific region that articu- 13 lates— 14 (A) the role and importance of Southeast 15 Asia to the United States; 16 (B) the value of the United States-ASEAN 17 relationship; 18 (C) the mutual interests of all parties; 19 (D) the concrete and material benefits all 20 nations derive from strong United States en- 21 gagement and leadership in Southeast Asia; and 22 (E) efforts to forge and maintain ASEAN 23 consensus, especially on key issues of political 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Apr 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1083.RFS H1083 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 HR 1083 RFS and security concern to the region, such as the 1 South China Sea. 2 SEC. 4. STRATEGY FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SOUTHEAST 3 ASIA AND ASEAN. 4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 5 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 6 in consultation with the heads of other Federal depart- 7 ments and agencies as appropriate, shall develop and sub- 8 mit to the appropriate congressional committees a com- 9 prehensive strategy for engagement with Southeast Asia 10 and ASEAN. 11 (b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The strategy re- 12 quired by subsection (a) shall include the following: 13 (1) A statement of enduring United States in- 14 terests in Southeast Asia and a description of efforts 15 to bolster the effectiveness of ASEAN. 16 (2) A description of efforts to— 17 (A) deepen and expand Southeast Asian al- 18 liances, partnerships, and multilateral engage- 19 ments, including efforts to expand broad based 20 and inclusive economic growth, security ties, se- 21 curity cooperation and interoperability, eco- 22 nomic connectivity, and expand opportunities 23 for ASEAN to work with other like-minded 24 partners in the region; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Apr 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1083.RFS H1083 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 HR 1083 RFS (B) encourage like-minded partners outside 1 of the Indo-Pacific region to engage with 2 ASEAN. 3 (3) A summary of initiatives across the whole 4 of the United States Government to strengthen the 5 United States partnership with Southeast Asian na- 6 tions and ASEAN, including to promote broad based 7 and inclusive economic growth, trade, investment, 8 energy innovation and sustainability, public-private 9 partnerships, physical and digital infrastructure de- 10 velopment, education, disaster management, public 11 health and global health security, and economic, po- 12 litical, and public diplomacy in Southeast Asia. 13 (4) A summary of initiatives across the whole 14 of the United States Government to enhance the ca- 15 pacity of Southeast Asian nations with respect to en- 16 forcing international law and multilateral sanctions, 17 and initiatives to cooperate with ASEAN as an insti- 18 tution in these areas. 19 (5) A summary of initiatives across the whole 20 of the United States Government to promote human 21 rights and democracy, to strengthen the rule of law, 22 civil society, and transparent governance, to combat 23 disinformation and to protect the integrity of elec- 24 tions from outside influence. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Apr 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1083.RFS H1083 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 HR 1083 RFS (6) A summary of initiatives to promote secu- 1 rity cooperation and security assistance within 2 Southeast Asian nations, including— 3 (A) maritime security and maritime do- 4 main awareness initiatives for protecting the 5 maritime commons and supporting international 6 law and freedom of navigation in the South 7 China Sea; and 8 (B) efforts to combat terrorism, human 9 trafficking, piracy, and illegal fishing, and pro- 10 mote more open, reliable routes for sea lines of 11 communication. 12 (c) DISTRIBUTION OF STRATEGY.—For the purposes 13 of assuring allies and partners in Southeast Asia and 14 deepening United States engagement with ASEAN, the 15 Secretary of State shall direct each United States chief 16 of mission to ASEAN and its member states to distribute 17 the strategy required by subsection (a) to host govern- 18 ments. 19 (d) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES 20 DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate con- 21 gressional committees’’ means— 22 (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 23 Committee on Armed Services of the House of Rep- 24 resentatives; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Apr 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1083.RFS H1083 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 8 HR 1083 RFS (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 1 the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate. 2 Passed the House of Representatives April 19, 2021. Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, Clerk. VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:47 Apr 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1083.RFS H1083 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS