[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 142 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 142
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
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 relationship 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
region;
Whereas the United States and Japan established diplomatic relations on March
31, 1854, with the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Amity;
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 Security 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
region'';
Whereas the American and Japanese people share deeply rooted values of defending
freedom, championing economic and social opportunity and inclusion, and
respecting 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 attacks and Hurricane Katrina, and Americans
supporting Japan in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake,
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 created by the close ties between
the American and Japanese people at the grassroots level, often
supported by the governments of the United States and Japan;
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 markets, 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 partners 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, cooperation with like-minded
countries, multilateral mechanisms 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 economic growth;
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
security-focused investment screening, quantum sciences, artificial
intelligence, space exploration, biosciences, collaborative 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 freedom and democracy, upholding human rights,
championing 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 freedom and democracy, upholding human rights,
championing 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, 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 security;
Whereas the United States-Japan alliance is essential for ensuring maritime
security and freedom of navigation, commerce, and overflight in the
waters of the East China Sea;
Whereas the United States invests significant military resources 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 Australia and India, form a
quadrilateral security cooperation 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 coercion'';
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
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) welcomes Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to the United
States;
(2) reaffirms the importance of the United States-Japan
alliance for maintaining peace and stability and fostering a
free and open Indo-Pacific region and beyond;
(3) supports ongoing efforts to further strengthen the
United States-Japan alliance, including the U.S.-Japan Security
Consultative Committee (2+2) to confront threats posed by
aggressive actors that threaten the peace and safety of both
nations;
(4) supports strong cooperation between the United States
and Japan in safeguarding maritime security and ensuring
freedom of navigation, commerce, and overflight in the East and
South China Seas;
(5) affirms the Senkaku Islands fall within the scope of
Article V of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and
Security, and remain opposed to any unilateral attempts to
change the status quo in the East China Sea or undermine
Japan's administration of these islands;
(6) acknowledges Japan's critical role as the sole East
Asian member of the Quad, which commits to a shared vision for
a free and inclusive Indo-Pacific region;
(7) stands in solidarity with Japan as it seeks justice and
accountability for its abductees, and pledges the full support
of the United States for Japan in seeking to resolve this
issue;
(8) recognizes the support of the Government of Japan in
addressing global challenges, including COVID-19 challenges,
that threaten the health and safety of people everywhere;
(9) supports the expansion of academic and cultural
exchanges between the United States and Japan, especially
efforts to encourage Japanese students to study at universities
in the United States, and vice versa, to deepen people-to-
people ties;
(10) encourages the expansion of collaboration for research
and development of new and emerging cyber technologies with
Japan, especially to address global challenges posed by the
proliferation of digital authoritarianism;
(11) promotes deepening the economic and trade ties between
the United States and Japan, including the empowerment of
women, which is vital for the prosperity of both our nations,
the Indo-Pacific region, and the world; and
(12) calls for continued cooperation between the
governments of the United States and Japan in the promotion of
human rights.
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