H. Res. 374 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

July 12, 2016. 

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 United States engagement in Asia to safeguard the peace, stability, and prosperity of the region; 

Whereas the United States and Singapore implemented the 

United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, the first 

bilateral trade agreement between the United States and 

an Asian country, in 2004; 

Whereas Singapore and the United States are major trading 

partners, with $64 billion 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 with a 1990 Memorandum of Understanding, supporting the continued security presence of 

the United States in Southeast Asia; 
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Whereas the United States and Singapore concluded a Strategic Framework Agreement in 2005 which recognized 

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 and 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 four Republic of 

Singapore Air Force training detachments, comprising 

the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s F–15SG and F– 

16 fighter jets, as well as Apache and Chinook helicopters, at bases in Arizona, Idaho and Texas; 

Whereas the United States-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 ASEANled mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit, ASEAN 

Regional Forum and the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ 

Meeting Plus; 

Whereas Singapore will be home to a United States-ASEAN 

Connect Center, an initiative announced at the United 

States-ASEAN summit in February 2016 to facilitate 
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United States-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 the 

ASEAN region, 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; 

and 

Whereas Singapore has supported counterterrorism efforts, 

through the sharing of domestic practices, as well as participation 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 House of Representatives— 

(1) affirms the importance of the United StatesSingapore strategic partnership in securing regional 

peace and stability, including through rotational basing 
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and logistical support arrangements which enhance the 

United States presence in Southeast Asia; 

(2) 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; 

(3) 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; 

(4) recognizes the vitality of the United StatesSingapore bilateral trade and investment relationship; 

(5) supports continued close cooperation between 

the United States and Singapore, through both bilateral 

initiatives such as the United States-Singapore Third 

Country Training Program, and multilateral initiatives 

such as United States-ASEAN Connect announced at 

the recent United States-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 
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(6) urges the Administration, to continue its 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. 

Attest: 

Clerk.