[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 56 (Thursday, March 25, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1835-S1836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  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:

                              S. Res. 142

       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

[[Page S1836]]

     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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