[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 29, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4729-S4730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 515--WELCOMING PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN-LOONG TO THE 
 UNITED STATES AND REAFFIRMING SINGAPORE'S STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH 
THE UNITED STATES, ENCOMPASSING BROAD AND ROBUST ECONOMIC, MILITARY-TO-
      MILITARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND COUNTERTERRORISM COOPERATION

  Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. Gardner) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 515

       Whereas in August 2016, as we commemorate 50 years of 
     diplomatic relations between the United States and the 
     Republic of Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Hsien-Loong of 
     Singapore will make an official visit to the United States, 
     including a State dinner on August 2nd;
       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 the United States' engagement in Asia to 
     safeguard the peace, stability, and prosperity of the region;
       Whereas in 2004 the United States and Singapore implemented 
     the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, the first bilateral 
     trade agreement between the United States and an Asian 
     country;
       Whereas Singapore and the United States are major trading 
     partners, with $64,000,000,000 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 through 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 recognizes 
     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, 
     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 4 Republic of 
     Singapore Air Force training detachments, comprising the 
     Republic of Singapore Air Force's F-15SG and F-16 fighter 
     jets, and Apache and Chinook helicopters, at bases in 
     Arizona, Idaho, and Texas;
       Whereas the U.S.-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 U.S.-ASEAN Connect 
     Center, an initiative announced at the U.S.-ASEAN summit in 
     February 2016 to facilitate U.S.-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 
     Southeast Asia, 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;

[[Page S4730]]

       Whereas Singapore has supported counterterrorism efforts, 
     through the sharing of domestic practices, participating 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 Senate--
       (1) welcomes Prime Minister Lee Hsien-Loong of Singapore 
     for his official visit to the United States and State Dinner 
     on August 2nd, as the United States and Singapore commemorate 
     the 50th anniversary of the Singapore-United States bilateral 
     diplomatic relationship that has served as an anchor for the 
     United States in Asia;
       (2) affirms the importance of the United States-Singapore 
     strategic partnership in securing regional peace and 
     stability, including through rotational basing and logistical 
     support arrangements that enhance the United States' presence 
     in Southeast Asia;
       (3) 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;
       (4) 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;
       (5) recognizes the vitality of the bilateral trade and 
     investment relationship between the United States and 
     Singapore;
       (6) supports continued close cooperation between the United 
     States and Singapore, through bilateral initiatives such as 
     the U.S.-Singapore Third Country Training Program, and 
     multilateral initiatives such as U.S.-ASEAN Connect announced 
     at the recent U.S.-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
       (7) urges the President to continue United States' 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.

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