[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 374 Engrossed in House (EH)]

<DOC>
H. Res. 374

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                         July 12, 2016.
Whereas the Republic of Singapore became independent on August 9, 1965, and the 
        United States recognized Singapore's statehood in the same year;
Whereas Singapore and the United States established formal diplomatic relations 
        in 1966;
Whereas under the leadership of its first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore 
        became an early and continued supporter of United States engagement in 
        Asia to safeguard the peace, stability, and prosperity of the region;
Whereas the United States and Singapore implemented the United States-Singapore 
        Free Trade Agreement, the first bilateral trade agreement between the 
        United States and an Asian country, in 2004;
Whereas Singapore and the United States are major trading partners, with $64 
        billion in bilateral goods and services trade in 2014 and a United 
        States trade surplus in both goods and services;
Whereas Singapore provided the United States access to its military facilities 
        with a 1990 Memorandum of Understanding, supporting the continued 
        security presence of the United States in Southeast Asia;
Whereas the United States and Singapore concluded a Strategic Framework 
        Agreement in 2005 which recognized Singapore as a ``Major Security 
        Cooperation Partner'' of the United States;
Whereas the United States and Singapore signed an enhanced Defense Cooperation 
        Agreement in 2015, expanding dialogue and cooperation in areas such as 
        humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, cyber defense, biosecurity, 
        and public communications;
Whereas Singapore facilitates the rotational deployment of United States Navy 
        Littoral Combat Ships at its Changi Naval Base;
Whereas the United States currently hosts four Republic of Singapore Air Force 
        training detachments, comprising the Republic of Singapore Air Force's 
        F-15SG and F-16 fighter jets, as well as Apache and Chinook helicopters, 
        at bases in Arizona, Idaho and Texas;
Whereas the United States-Singapore Third Country Training Program, established 
        in 2012 and renewed in 2015, provides regional technical and capacity-
        building assistance in a wide variety of areas to assist recipient 
        countries in reaching their development goals;
Whereas Singapore was a founding member of the Association of South East Asian 
        Nations (ASEAN) in 1967 and remains a key partner of the United States 
        in ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional 
        Forum and the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus;
Whereas Singapore will be home to a United States-ASEAN Connect Center, an 
        initiative announced at the United States-ASEAN summit in February 2016 
        to facilitate United States-ASEAN engagement and cooperation on energy, 
        innovation, and entrepreneurship;
Whereas Singapore has played a critical role in enhancing shared maritime domain 
        awareness in Southeast Asia through the establishment of the Republic of 
        Singapore Navy's Information Fusion Center, to facilitate information-
        sharing and collaboration with partners including the United States 
        against maritime security threats, and through the deployment of United 
        States aircraft at Paya Lebar Air Base;
Whereas Singapore has been a cybersecurity leader in the ASEAN region, through 
        the unified Cyber Security Agency, as the convener of the annual ASEAN 
        CERT Incident Drill, and as host of the INTERPOL Global Complex for 
        Innovation;
Whereas Singapore was the first Southeast Asian country to join the Global 
        Coalition to Counter ISIL in November 2014 and has contributed an air 
        refueling tanker, imagery analysis teams, and planning and liaison 
        officers; and
Whereas Singapore has supported counterterrorism efforts, through the sharing of 
        domestic practices, as well as participation in the White House Summit 
        on Countering Violent Extremism in February 2015, and hosting the East 
        Asia Summit Symposium on Religious Rehabilitation and Social 
        Reintegration in April 2015: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) affirms the importance of the United States-Singapore strategic 
        partnership in securing regional peace and stability, including through 
        rotational basing and logistical support arrangements which enhance the 
        United States presence in Southeast Asia;
            (2) applauds the Republic of Singapore's leadership in 
        counterterrorism, including the deployment of military assets as part of 
        the anti-ISIL coalition and innovative counterterrorism efforts within 
        the Asia-Pacific region;
            (3) anticipates the deepening of the security relationship following 
        the signing of an enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement in Washington 
        on December 7, 2015, and welcomes further cooperation in areas such as 
        cybersecurity, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and defense 
        technology;
            (4) recognizes the vitality of the United States-Singapore bilateral 
        trade and investment relationship;
            (5) supports continued close cooperation between the United States 
        and Singapore, through both bilateral initiatives such as the United 
        States-Singapore Third Country Training Program, and multilateral 
        initiatives such as United States-ASEAN Connect announced at the recent 
        United States-ASEAN Summit in Sunnylands, to build capacity for 
        commercial engagement, energy development, innovation, trade 
        facilitation, and to achieve development goals in the Asia-Pacific 
        region; and
            (6) urges the Administration, to continue its support of 
        multilateral institutions and fora such as the Asia-Pacific Economic 
        Cooperation, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum, and the ASEAN 
        Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus, working in close cooperation with 
        partners, such as the Republic of Singapore, who share a commitment to 
        an inclusive, rules-based regional architecture.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.