Sec. 261. Sense of Congress on cooperation with ASEAN
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/bill/116/s/4629/is/section-261·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that the United States— stands with the nations of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as they respond to COVID–19 and supports greater cooperation in building capacity to prepare for and respond to pandemics and other public health challenges; supports high-level United States participation in the annual ASEAN Summit held each November; reaffirms the importance of United States-ASEAN economic engagement, including the elimination of barriers to cross-border commerce, and supports the ASEAN Economic Community's
(AEC)goals, including strong, inclusive, and sustainable long-term economic growth and cooperation with the United States that focuses on innovation and capacity-building efforts in technology, education, disaster management, food security, human rights, and trade facilitation, particularly for ASEAN's poorest countries; urges ASEAN to continue its efforts to foster greater integration and unity within the ASEAN community, as well as to foster greater integration and unity with non-ASEAN economic, political, and security partners, including Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, the European Union, Taiwan, and India; recognizes the value of strategic economic initiatives like United States-ASEAN Connect, which demonstrates a commitment to ASEAN and the AEC and builds upon economic relationships in the region; supports ASEAN nations in addressing maritime and territorial disputes in a constructive manner and in pursuing claims through peaceful, diplomatic, and, as necessary, legitimate regional and international arbitration mechanisms, consistent with international law, including through the adoption of a code of conduct in the South China Sea that represents the interests of all parties and promotes peace and stability in the region; urges all parties involved in the maritime and territorial disputes in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Government of China— to cease any current activities, and avoid undertaking any actions in the future, that undermine stability, or complicate or escalate disputes through the use of coercion, intimidation, or military force; to demilitarize islands, reefs, shoals, and other features, and refrain from new efforts to militarize, including the construction of new garrisons and facilities and the relocation of additional military personnel, material, or equipment; to oppose actions by any country that prevent other countries from exercising their sovereign rights to the resources in their exclusive economic zones and continental shelves by enforcing claims to those areas in the South China Sea that lack support in international law; and to oppose unilateral declarations of administrative and military districts in contested areas in the South China Sea; urges parties to refrain from unilateral actions that cause permanent physical damage to the marine environment, and supports the efforts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and ASEAN to implement guidelines to address the illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the region; urges ASEAN member states to develop a common approach to reaffirm the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration's 2016 ruling in favor of the Republic of the Philippines in the case against the People's Republic of China's excessive maritime claims; reaffirms the commitment of the United States to continue joint efforts with ASEAN to halt human smuggling and trafficking in persons, and urges ASEAN to create and strengthen regional mechanisms to provide assistance and support to refugees and migrants; supports the Lower Mekong Initiative, which has led to significant progress in promoting sustainable long-term economic development in mainland Southeast Asia and fostering integrated sub-regional cooperation and capacity-building; encourages the President of the United States to communicate to ASEAN leaders the importance of promoting the rule of law and open and transparent government, strengthening civil society, and protecting human rights, including releasing political prisoners, ceasing politically motivated prosecutions and arbitrary killings, and safeguarding freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech and expression; supports efforts by organizations in ASEAN that address corruption in the public and private sectors, enhance anti-bribery compliance, enforce bribery criminalization in the private sector, and build beneficial ownership transparency through the ASEAN-USAID PROSPECT project partnered with the South East Asia Parties Against Corruption (SEA-PAC); supports the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative as an example of a people-to-people partnership that provides skills, networks, and leadership training to a new generation that will create and fill jobs, foster cross-border cooperation and partnerships, and rise to solve the regional and global challenges of the future; supports expanding the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative to include people-to-people partnerships from the broader Indo-Pacific region with an emphasis on civil society leaders and re-naming it the Obama Young Indo-Pacific Leaders Initiative ; applauds the ASEAN governments that have fully upheld and implemented all United Nations Security Council resolutions and international agreements with respect to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and encourages all other ASEAN governments to do the same; and should work with ASEAN, through the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting, to initiate a dialogue regarding perceptions of Chinese military strategy and capabilities, including its interest in the Arctic Region.