III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 25, 2021 

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 

RESOLUTION 

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. 

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; 


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•SRES 142 IS 

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; 


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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 JapanAmerica 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; 


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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, 


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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 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 


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1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) welcomes Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to 

3 the United States; 

4 (2) reaffirms the importance of the United 

5 States-Japan alliance for maintaining peace and sta6 bility and fostering a free and open Indo-Pacific re7 gion and beyond; 

8 (3) supports ongoing efforts to further 

9 strengthen the United States-Japan alliance, includ10 ing the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee 

11 (2+2) to confront threats posed by aggressive actors 

12 that threaten the peace and safety of both nations; 

13 (4) supports strong cooperation between the 

14 United States and Japan in safeguarding maritime 

15 security and ensuring freedom of navigation, com16 merce, and overflight in the East and South China 

17 Seas; 

18 (5) affirms the Senkaku Islands fall within the 

19 scope of Article V of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mu20 tual Cooperation and Security, and remain opposed 

21 to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo 

22 in the East China Sea or undermine Japan’s admin23 istration of these islands; 

24 (6) acknowledges Japan’s critical role as the 

25 sole East Asian member of the Quad, which commits 


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1 to a shared vision for a free and inclusive Indo-Pa2 cific region; 

3 (7) stands in solidarity with Japan as it seeks 

4 justice and accountability for its abductees, and 

5 pledges the full support of the United States for 

6 Japan in seeking to resolve this issue; 

7 (8) recognizes the support of the Government of 

8 Japan in addressing global challenges, including 

9 COVID–19 challenges, that threaten the health and 

10 safety of people everywhere; 

11 (9) supports the expansion of academic and cul12 tural exchanges between the United States and 

13 Japan, especially efforts to encourage Japanese stu14 dents to study at universities in the United States, 

15 and vice versa, to deepen people-to-people ties; 

16 (10) encourages the expansion of collaboration 

17 for research and development of new and emerging 

18 cyber technologies with Japan, especially to address 

19 global challenges posed by the proliferation of digital 

20 authoritarianism; 

21 (11) promotes deepening the economic and 

22 trade ties between the United States and Japan, in23 cluding the empowerment of women, which is vital 

24 for the prosperity of both our nations, the Indo-Pa25 cific region, and the world; and 


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1 (12) calls for continued cooperation between the 

2 governments of the United States and Japan in the 

3 promotion of human rights. 

Æ 


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