A resolution recognizing the importance of the United States-Japan relationship to safeguarding global security, prosperity, and human rights and welcoming the visit of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to the United States.

III 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 142 Recognizing the importance of the United States-Japan relationship to safe- guarding global security, prosperity, and human rights and welcoming the visit of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to the United States. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 25, 2021 Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. HAGERTY, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. ROMNEY, and Mr. COONS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Recognizing the importance of the United States-Japan rela- tionship to safeguarding global security, prosperity, and human rights and welcoming the visit of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to the United States. Whereas the United States-Japan alliance is a cornerstone of global peace and stability and underscores the past, present, and future United States commitment to the stability and prosperity of Japan and the Indo-Pacific re- gion; Whereas the United States and Japan established diplomatic relations on March 31, 1854, with the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Amity; VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:18 Mar 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR142.IS SR142 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •SRES 142 IS Whereas 2021 marks the 76th anniversary of the end of World War II, a conflict in which the United States and Japan were enemies, and the strength of the alliance is a testament to the ability of great nations to overcome the past and to work together to create a more secure and prosperous future; Whereas, January 19, 2021, marked the 61st anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Se- curity between the United States and Japan; Whereas the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee (2+2) met on March 16, 2021, in Tokyo and ‘‘reaffirmed that the U.S.-Japan Alliance remains the cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific re- gion’’; Whereas the American and Japanese people share deeply rooted values of defending freedom, championing eco- nomic and social opportunity and inclusion, and respect- ing the rule of law; Whereas the peoples of Japan and the United States support each other in times of need with Japan being one of the first countries to offer assistance following the 9/11 at- tacks and Hurricane Katrina, and Americans supporting Japan in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earth- quake, ten years ago this month, through Operation Tomodachi; Whereas the strength of the United States-Japan relationship is due in part to the substantial reservoir of goodwill cre- ated by the close ties between the American and Japa- nese people at the grassroots level, often supported by the governments of the United States and Japan; VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:18 Mar 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR142.IS SR142 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •SRES 142 IS Whereas there are more than 30,000 United States alumni of the Government of Japan-sponsored Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program, including nearly 200 JET program alumni working at the Department of State; Whereas the Fulbright program has sent nearly 7,500 young Japanese on Fulbright scholarships to the United States since 1952, and there are 37 United States-based Japan- America Society chapters, and the United States and Japan also share more sister city relationships than any other two countries; Whereas the governments and people of the United States and Japan share a commitment to free and open mar- kets, high standards for the free flow of commerce and trade, and the establishment of an inclusive architecture for regional and global trade and development; Whereas the United States and Japan are top trading part- ners that exchange over $300,000,000,000 worth of goods and services each year, Japan serves as the biggest cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) contributor to the United States and the biggest job creator in the United States manufacturing sector regarding trade, and the United States-Japan bilateral economic relationship is one of strongest in the world; Whereas the United States and Japan are working closely via whole-of-government initiatives, bilateral partnerships, co- operation with like-minded countries, multilateral mecha- nisms including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, and enhanced private-sector engagement to assist countries in the Indo-Pacific and across the globe to catalyze investment in infrastructure, energy, and the digital economy to promote connectivity and eco- nomic growth; VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:18 Mar 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR142.IS SR142 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •SRES 142 IS Whereas United States-Japan economic cooperation has also led to close collaboration in science and technology and promoted shared values in research, including on COVID–19 response, the digital economy, national secu- rity-focused investment screening, quantum sciences, arti- ficial intelligence, space exploration, biosciences, collabo- rative 5G networks, and interoperable approaches for Open RAN (radio access network) technologies; Whereas, following a year of delay due to the COVID–19 pandemic, Japan will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2021, bringing together athletes from around the world in a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit; Whereas a robust and effective trilateral relationship between and among the United States, the ROK, and Japan is critical for joint security and interests in defending free- dom and democracy, upholding human rights, cham- pioning women’s empowerment, combating climate change, promoting regional and global peace, security, and the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific and across the globe; Whereas a robust and effective trilateral relationship between and among the United States, the ROK, and Japan is critical for joint security and interests in defending free- dom and democracy, upholding human rights, cham- pioning women’s empowerment, combating climate change, promoting regional and global peace, security, and the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific and across the globe; Whereas the United States welcomes Japan’s successive measures to enhance the role of its Self Defense Forces in securing peace and stability in the region and beyond, VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:18 Mar 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR142.IS SR142 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •SRES 142 IS including its commitment on collective self defense under Japan’s laws, which strengthens the alliance’s ability to defend Japan and to continue safeguard regional secu- rity; Whereas the United States-Japan alliance is essential for en- suring maritime security and freedom of navigation, com- merce, and overflight in the waters of the East China Sea; Whereas the United States invests significant military re- sources and capabilities to meet the Alliance’s current and future security challenges and through the U.S.- Japan Host Nation Support framework, the Government of Japan shares the costs of stationing United States forces in Japan; Whereas the United States and Japan, together with Aus- tralia and India, form a quadrilateral security coopera- tion known as the Quad which met on March 12, 2021, and reaffirmed its commitment to a shared vision for an Indo-Pacific region that is ‘‘free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by co- ercion’’; Whereas people-to-people ties between the United States and Japan are long-standing and deep, as exemplified by the gift of the beautiful cherry trees that dot our Nation’s capital from the People of Japan to the People of the United States in 1912, and the cherry blossom festivals currently taking place across our Nation, signifying an unbreakable bond between the two nations; and Whereas, in April 2021, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will visit the United States at the invitation of President Joe Biden: Now, therefore, be it VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:18 Mar 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR142.IS SR142 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •SRES 142 IS Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) welcomes Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to 2 the United States; 3 (2) reaffirms the importance of the United 4 States-Japan alliance for maintaining peace and sta- 5 bility and fostering a free and open Indo-Pacific re- 6 gion and beyond; 7 (3) supports ongoing efforts to further 8 strengthen the United States-Japan alliance, includ- 9 ing the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee 10 (2+2) to confront threats posed by aggressive actors 11 that threaten the peace and safety of both nations; 12 (4) supports strong cooperation between the 13 United States and Japan in safeguarding maritime 14 security and ensuring freedom of navigation, com- 15 merce, and overflight in the East and South China 16 Seas; 17 (5) affirms the Senkaku Islands fall within the 18 scope of Article V of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mu- 19 tual Cooperation and Security, and remain opposed 20 to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo 21 in the East China Sea or undermine Japan’s admin- 22 istration of these islands; 23 (6) acknowledges Japan’s critical role as the 24 sole East Asian member of the Quad, which commits 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:18 Mar 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR142.IS SR142 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 7 •SRES 142 IS to a shared vision for a free and inclusive Indo-Pa- 1 cific region; 2 (7) stands in solidarity with Japan as it seeks 3 justice and accountability for its abductees, and 4 pledges the full support of the United States for 5 Japan in seeking to resolve this issue; 6 (8) recognizes the support of the Government of 7 Japan in addressing global challenges, including 8 COVID–19 challenges, that threaten the health and 9 safety of people everywhere; 10 (9) supports the expansion of academic and cul- 11 tural exchanges between the United States and 12 Japan, especially efforts to encourage Japanese stu- 13 dents to study at universities in the United States, 14 and vice versa, to deepen people-to-people ties; 15 (10) encourages the expansion of collaboration 16 for research and development of new and emerging 17 cyber technologies with Japan, especially to address 18 global challenges posed by the proliferation of digital 19 authoritarianism; 20 (11) promotes deepening the economic and 21 trade ties between the United States and Japan, in- 22 cluding the empowerment of women, which is vital 23 for the prosperity of both our nations, the Indo-Pa- 24 cific region, and the world; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:18 Mar 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR142.IS SR142 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 8 •SRES 142 IS (12) calls for continued cooperation between the 1 governments of the United States and Japan in the 2 promotion of human rights. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:18 Mar 29, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR142.IS SR142 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS