[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 418 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 418

 Recognizing the importance in history of the 150th anniversary of the 
  establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and 
                                 Japan.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 6, 2004

  Mr. Lantos (for himself, Mr. Leach, Mr. Faleomavaega, and Mr. Hyde) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the importance in history of the 150th anniversary of the 
  establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and 
                                 Japan.

Whereas over the past 150 years, the United States and Japan have developed a 
        strong, multifaceted relationship based on shared democratic values and 
        mutual interest in Asian and global stability and development;
Whereas the bilateral relationship between the United States and Japan was 
        opened by a visit by Commodore Matthew Perry to Japan in 1853, the goal 
        of which was to convince Japan to establish commercial and diplomatic 
        relations;
Whereas the first bilateral treaty between the 2 nations, the Treaty of Peace 
        and Amity between Japan and the United States, was signed by Commodore 
        Perry and Japanese representatives on March 31, 1854, in Yokohama, 
        Japan;
Whereas the Treaty of Peace and Amity signaled the end of Japan's long isolation 
        as a feudal society and set the stage for the Meiji Restoration and for 
        Japan's transformation into a modern industrial nation;
Whereas with the direct assistance of President Theodore Roosevelt, the 
        Portsmouth Peace Treaty was signed in 1905, ending the Russo-Japanese 
        War and earning President Roosevelt the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize;
Whereas as a symbol of friendship, Japan presented the United States with 3,020 
        cherry trees in 1912, which continue to blossom each year on the 
        National Mall in Washington, District of Columbia;
Whereas the people of the United States and Japan worked together after World 
        War II to reconstruct Japan and to ensure the post war emergence of 
        Japan as a beacon of democracy and economic liberalization in the Asia-
        Pacific region;
Whereas the allied security relationship between the United States and Japan was 
        launched with the signing of the Security Treaty of 1951 and further 
        solidified with the signing of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and 
        Security in 1960;
Whereas the United States and Japan, despite ongoing bilateral trade disputes, 
        have long sought to promote economic cooperation and an open global 
        trading system, and both nations serve as important and powerful markets 
        for each other with over $170,000,000,000 in bilateral trade in 2003;
Whereas the Government of Japan strongly condemned the terrorist attacks against 
        the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001, provided 
        logistical support to United States military operations against Al Qaeda 
        and the Taliban in Afghanistan, and has been a leading donor for the 
        relief and reconstruction of Afghanistan;
Whereas the Government of Japan enacted special legislation to allow the 
        deployment to Iraq of Japanese Self Defense Force personnel to carry out 
        humanitarian aid and reconstruction activities, and committed to 
        providing $5,000,000,000 in assistance to Iraq;
Whereas increased tourism and educational and business exchanges between the 
        people of Japan and the United States have dramatically increased mutual 
        appreciation of Japanese and American culture;
Whereas Japanese-American relations are further cemented by the enormous 
        contributions to American economic, political, and cultural life by 
        nearly 1,000,000 Japanese-Americans;
Whereas Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi stated at the ceremony 
        commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Japan-United States 
        relationship that the bilateral friendship ``is as solid as it is 
        because our countries share fundamental values like freedom, democracy, 
        and free market economy . . . [w]e are a prime example to the world that 
        people of different races and beliefs can share the same values and be 
        true friends''; and
Whereas generations of American and Japanese leaders have steered the bilateral 
        relationship between the two nations from the humble beginnings of the 
        visit to Japan by Commodore Matthew Perry to the current status of Japan 
        as the strongest ally of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region: 
        Now, therefore be it--
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the importance in history of the 150th 
        anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States 
        and Japan; and
            (2) calls for expanded political, economic, strategic, and 
        cultural ties between the Japanese and American people and 
        their respective governments.
                                 <all>