I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1083 

To require a strategy for engagement with Southeast Asia and the Association 

of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 15, 2021 

Mrs. WAGNER (for herself and Mr. CASTRO of Texas) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To require a strategy for engagement with Southeast Asia 

and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Southeast Asia Strat5 egy Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Southeast Asia is the fulcrum of the Indo9 Pacific region, providing both a geographic and mar10 itime link between East and South Asia. 


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1 (2) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations 

2 (ASEAN), a regional intergovernmental organiza3 tion, remains central to the Indo-Pacific region’s in4 stitutional architecture and to United States foreign 

5 policy toward the region. 

6 (3) The United States has reaffirmed that the 

7 security and sovereignty of its Southeast Asian allies 

8 and partners, including a strong, independent 

9 ASEAN, remain vital to the prosperity and stability 

10 of the Indo-Pacific region. 

11 (4) The United States has committed to deepen 

12 longstanding alliances and partnerships with a range 

13 of Southeast Asian nations, including by promoting 

14 our shared values, democracy, human rights, and 

15 civil society. 

16 (5) Since the end of the Second World War, 

17 United States investments in strengthening alliances 

18 and partnerships with Southeast Asian nations have 

19 yielded tremendous returns for United States inter20 ests, as working with and through these alliances 

21 and partnerships have increased the region’s ability 

22 to address common challenges. 

23 (6) ASEAN member states are critical United 

24 States security partners in protecting the freedom 

25 and openness of the maritime domain and preVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:52 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1083.IH H1083

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1 venting violent extremism and the trafficking of 

2 weapons of mass destruction. 

3 (7) ASEAN member states have contributed 

4 significantly to regional disaster monitoring and 

5 management and emergency response through initia6 tives such as the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for 

7 Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management, 

8 an inter-governmental organization that facilitates 

9 coordination and cooperation among ASEAN mem10 ber states and international organizations in times 

11 of emergency. 

12 (8) According to the 2018 ASEAN Business 

13 Outlook Survey, ASEAN member states are vital to 

14 the prosperity of the United States economy and ex15 ports to ASEAN economies support more than 

16 500,000 jobs in the United States. 

17 (9) The United States and ASEAN have estab18 lished a new strategic partnership that will enhance 

19 cooperation across the economic, political-security, 

20 and people-to-people pillars of the relationship. 

21 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

22 It is the policy of the United States to— 

23 (1) deepen cooperation with ASEAN and 

24 ASEAN member states in the interest of promoting 


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1 peace, security, and stability in the Indo-Pacific re2 gion; 

3 (2) affirm the importance of ASEAN centrality 

4 and ASEAN-led mechanisms in the evolving institu5 tional architecture of the Indo-Pacific region; and 

6 (3) establish and communicate a comprehensive 

7 strategy toward the Indo-Pacific region that articu8 lates— 

9 (A) the role and importance of Southeast 

10 Asia to the United States; 

11 (B) the value of the United States-ASEAN 

12 relationship; 

13 (C) the mutual interests of all parties; 

14 (D) the concrete and material benefits all 

15 nations derive from strong United States en16 gagement and leadership in Southeast Asia; and 

17 (E) efforts to forge and maintain ASEAN 

18 consensus, especially on key issues of political 

19 and security concern to the region, such as the 

20 South China Sea. 

21 SEC. 4. STRATEGY FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SOUTHEAST 

22 ASIA AND ASEAN. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

24 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 

25 in consultation with the heads of other Federal departVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:52 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1083.IH H1083

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1 ments and agencies as appropriate, shall develop and sub2 mit to the appropriate congressional committees a com3 prehensive strategy for engagement with Southeast Asia 

4 and ASEAN. 

5 (b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The strategy re6 quired by subsection (a) shall include the following: 

7 (1) A statement of enduring United States in8 terests in Southeast Asia and a description of efforts 

9 to bolster the effectiveness of ASEAN. 

10 (2) A description of efforts to— 

11 (A) deepen and expand Southeast Asian al12 liances, partnerships, and multilateral engage13 ments, including efforts to expand broad based 

14 and inclusive economic growth, security ties, se15 curity cooperation and interoperability, eco16 nomic connectivity, and expand opportunities 

17 for ASEAN to work with other like-minded 

18 partners in the region; and 

19 (B) encourage like-minded partners outside 

20 of the Indo-Pacific region to engage with 

21 ASEAN. 

22 (3) A summary of initiatives across the whole 

23 of the United States Government to strengthen the 

24 United States partnership with Southeast Asian na25 tions and ASEAN, including to promote broad based 


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1 and inclusive economic growth, trade, investment, 

2 energy innovation and sustainability, public-private 

3 partnerships, physical and digital infrastructure de4 velopment, education, disaster management, public 

5 health and global health security, and economic, po6 litical, and public diplomacy in Southeast Asia. 

7 (4) A summary of initiatives across the whole 

8 of the United States Government to enhance the ca9 pacity of Southeast Asian nations with respect to en10 forcing international law and multilateral sanctions, 

11 and initiatives to cooperate with ASEAN as an insti12 tution in these areas. 

13 (5) A summary of initiatives across the whole 

14 of the United States Government to promote human 

15 rights and democracy, to strengthen the rule of law, 

16 civil society, and transparent governance, to combat 

17 disinformation and to protect the integrity of elec18 tions from outside influence. 

19 (6) A summary of initiatives to promote secu20 rity cooperation and security assistance within 

21 Southeast Asian nations, including— 

22 (A) maritime security and maritime do23 main awareness initiatives for protecting the 

24 maritime commons and supporting international 


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1 law and freedom of navigation in the South 

2 China Sea; and 

3 (B) efforts to combat terrorism, human 

4 trafficking, piracy, and illegal fishing, and pro5 mote more open, reliable routes for sea lines of 

6 communication. 

7 (c) DISTRIBUTION OF STRATEGY.—For the purposes 

8 of assuring allies and partners in Southeast Asia and 

9 deepening United States engagement with ASEAN, the 

10 Secretary of State shall direct each United States chief 

11 of mission to ASEAN and its member states to distribute 

12 the strategy required by subsection (a) to host govern13 ments. 

14 (d) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES

15 DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate con16 gressional committees’’ means— 

17 (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 

18 Committee on Armed Services of the House of Rep19 resentatives; and 

20 (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 

21 the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate. 

Æ 


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