Sense of Congress on defense alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region

It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should continue efforts that strengthen United States defense alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region so as to further the comparative advantage of the United States in strategic competition with the People's Republic of China, including by— (1) enhancing cooperation with Japan, consistent with the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States of America and Japan, signed at Washington January 19, 1960 (11 UST 1632), including by enhancing deterrence and extended deterrence, developing advanced military capabilities, upgrading command and control relationships, fostering interoperability across all domains, improving sharing of information and intelligence, and fostering multilateral cooperation with the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Australia, and other partners; (2) reinforcing the United States alliance with the Republic of Korea, including by maintaining the presence of approximately 28,500 members of the United States Armed Forces deployed to the Republic of Korea, enhancing mutual defense industrial base cooperation, responsibly implementing the conditions-based transition of wartime operational control, and affirming the United States extended deterrence commitment using the full range of United States defense capabilities, consistent with the Mutual Defense Treaty Between the United States and the Republic of Korea, signed at Washington October 1, 1953 (5 UST 2368), in support of the shared objective of a peaceful and stable Korean Peninsula; (3) fostering bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Australia, consistent with the Security Treaty Between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America, signed at San Francisco September 1, 1951 (3 UST 3420), and the United States-Australia Force Posture Initiatives, and through the defense trade partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (commonly known as the AUKUS partnership)— (A) to advance shared security objectives; (B) to accelerate the fielding of advanced military capabilities; and (C) to build the capacity of emerging partners; (4) bolstering security cooperation with the Philippines in accordance with the Mutual Defense Treaty Between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines, signed at Washington August 30, 1951 (3 UST 3947), including through the implementation of the United States-Philippines Security Sector Assistance Roadmap, and other enabling support necessary for the protection of Philippine sovereignty; (5) advancing United States partnerships with Thailand and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to enhance maritime domain awareness, promote sovereignty and territorial integrity, leverage technology and promote innovation, and support an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture; (6) broadening United States engagement with India, including through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue— (A) to advance the shared objective of a free and open Indo-Pacific region through bilateral and multilateral engagements and participation in military exercises, expanded defense trade, and collaboration on humanitarian aid and disaster response; and (B) to enable greater cooperation on maritime security; (7) strengthening the United States partnership with Taiwan, consistent with the Three Communiques, the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96–8; 22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.), and the Six Assurances, with the goal of improving Taiwan's defensive capabilities, including through the continued provision of security assistance via Foreign Military Sales, authorities contained in chapter 16 of title 10, United States Code, and other authorities available to the Secretary, and promoting peaceful cross-strait relations; (8) reinforcing the status of Singapore as a Major Security Cooperation Partner of the United States and continuing to strengthen defense and security cooperation between the military forces of Singapore and the United States Armed Forces, including through participation in combined exercises and training; (9) engaging with the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and other Pacific Island countries, with the goal of strengthening regional security and addressing issues of mutual concern, including protecting fisheries from illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; (10) collaborating with Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and other members of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to build connectivity and advance a shared vision for the Indo-Pacific region that is principled, long-term, and anchored in democratic resilience; and (11) investing in enhanced military posture and capabilities in the area of responsibility of the United States Indo-Pacific Command and strengthening cooperation in bilateral relationships, multilateral partnerships, and other international fora to uphold global security and shared principles, with the goal of ensuring the maintenance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.