III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 616 

Expressing support for the Association of South East Asian Nations, its 

10 member states, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, 

Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and the 

United States-ASEAN Special Summit in Washington, DC, and reaffirming the commitment of the United States to continue to remain a strong, 

reliable, and active partner in the ASEAN region. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 5, 2022 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. RISCH, Mr. MARKEY, and Mr. ROMNEY) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the Association of South East Asian 

Nations, its 10 member states, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and the United StatesASEAN Special Summit in Washington, DC, and reaffirming the commitment of the United States to continue to remain a strong, reliable, and active partner 

in the ASEAN region. 

Whereas the 10 members of the Association of South East 

Asian Nations (‘‘ASEAN’’) represent a variety of different cultures and beliefs; 


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Whereas an estimated 7,000,000 United States citizens identify with an ethnicity represented in ASEAN; 

Whereas the United States and ASEAN have been cooperating to advance mutual interests for approximately 45 

years, having first established dialogue on September 10, 

1977, through the Joint Communique of the First 

ASEAN-United States Dialogue and the United States 

acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in 

Southeast Asia at the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference Session in Thailand on July 22, 2009; 

Whereas the United States was the first non-ASEAN country 

to appoint an ambassador to ASEAN on April 29, 2008, 

and the first non-member to establish a permanent mission to ASEAN in 2010; 

Whereas cooperation between the United States Government 

and the governments and people of ASEAN member 

states can help realize the common goals of a free, open, 

peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region rooted in a 

rules-based order that promotes security, opportunity, 

and dignity to all people; 

Whereas ASEAN member states have vibrant economies that 

have given rise to a flourishing middle class and collectively are predicted to become the fourth-largest economy 

in the world by 2050; 

Whereas, in 2020, the 10 ASEAN member states represented 

the fifth largest economy in the world and constituted the 

fourth-largest export market of the United States, with 

total exports from the United States to ASEAN countries 

reaching $111,900,000,000; 

Whereas ASEAN is the number one destination for United 

States investment in the Indo-Pacific, with 


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$328,500,000,000 in cumulative foreign direct investment; 

Whereas ASEAN member states surround critical global sea 

lanes, with $5,300,000,000,000 of global trade and more 

than 1⁄2 of the world’s total shipped tonnage transiting 

through the waters of such member states each year; 

Whereas the ultimate goal of the ASEAN Economic Community (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘AEC’’) is to create 

one of the largest single market economies in the world 

and facilitate the free movement of goods, services, and 

professionals; 

Whereas the United States-ASEAN Single Window custom 

facilitation system expedites intra-ASEAN trade and enhances the ability of United States businesses to operate 

in the region; 

Whereas the United States-ASEAN Business Alliance for 

Competitive Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises has 

trained more than 20,000 small-to-medium size enterprises, with nearly 1⁄2 of the participants being women 

entrepreneurs; 

Whereas the Mekong-U.S. Partnership, established in 2020 

to expand upon the Lower Mekong Initiative, promotes 

sustainable long-term economic development throughout 

mainland Southeast Asia and fosters regional cooperation, integration, and capacity building; 

Whereas the Japan-U.S.-Mekong Power Partnership aims to 

‘‘promote a more sustainable energy sector and quality 

energy infrastructure development’’ and demonstrates the 

shared commitment of the United States and other IndoPacific nations to strengthen ties with Mekong countries; 


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Whereas, in 2021, the United States announced several additional initiatives to enhance cooperation with ASEAN, including the United States-ASEAN Health Futures, the 

United States-ASEAN Climate Futures, the United 

States-ASEAN Economic Futures, and the Billions Futures; 

Whereas the United States is cooperating with ASEAN member states and providing emergency health assistance to 

enhance the resilience of such member states in the face 

of the COVID–19 pandemic, including through the recently announced United States-ASEAN Health Futures 

program that builds on the more than $3,500,000,000 

the United States has invested in global health collaboration with ASEAN member states over the last 20 years; 

Whereas the United States remains committed to working 

with ASEAN to improve the promotion and protection of 

human rights and fundamental dignity of the people of 

ASEAN member states, a key ingredient to maintaining 

stability, promoting economic growth, and advancing 

good governance and rule of law; 

Whereas the Burmese armed forces conducted an illegitimate 

coup in 2021, usurped the democratic government of 

Myanmar, killed hundreds of civilians, and displaced 

more than 300,000 people; 

Whereas the Burmese junta has failed to make meaningful 

progress on ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus or receive 

official recognition from ASEAN; 

Whereas the United States remains concerned about democratic backsliding and the erosion of protections of fundamental human rights in Southeast Asia; 


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Whereas the United States opposes all actions and claims 

that infringe upon the freedom and lawful use of the sea 

and has a national interest in ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight, open access to the maritime commons of the Indo-Pacific region, and respect for international law in the South China Sea; 

Whereas the United States is deeply concerned about recent 

assertive and unsafe behavior by the People’s Republic of 

China in the South China Sea and urges all countries 

with competing territorial claims to seek peaceful resolution of disputes through collaborative diplomacy and, as 

necessary, international dispute resolution mechanisms 

consistent with international law; 

Whereas the United States supports the decision of the Government of the Philippines to use arbitration under the 

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, done 

at Montego Bay December 10, 1982, to peacefully and 

lawfully address competing claims; 

Whereas the United States supports development of a code 

of conduct that represents the interests of all parties and 

promotes peace and stability in the region surrounding 

the South China Sea, opposes efforts by any nation to 

use a code of conduct as a vehicle to limit presence in 

or lawful use of the South China Sea, encourages claimants not to undertake new or unilateral attempts to 

change the status quo since the signing of the 2002 Declaration of Conduct, including reclamation activities or 

administrative measures or controls in disputed areas in 

the South China Sea, and encourages ASEAN countries 

to adopt a unified position in negotiating the code of conduct; 


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Whereas the 20th Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training 

naval exercises featured more than 400 sailors from 21 

countries, built greater maritime security on the strength 

of ASEAN, strengthened navy-to-navy bonds, and exemplified the shared belief in a free and open Indo-Pacific 

region; 

Whereas the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States declares that ‘‘the United States also welcomes a strong 

and independent ASEAN that leads in Southeast Asia’’ 

and ‘‘endorse[s] ASEAN centrality and support[s] 

ASEAN in its efforts to deliver sustainable solutions to 

the region’s most pressing challenges’’; 

Whereas natural disasters in the ASEAN region over the 

past 4 decades have resulted in major loss and damage, 

with a disproportionate impact on developing countries; 

Whereas the United States will pursue initiatives that are 

consistent with sustainable long-term economic development, including— 

(1) achievement of food security and poverty alleviation; 

(2) improvement of conservation and sustainable 

management of forests, fish stocks, and oceanic resources; 

(3) resilience to extreme weather events that are increasing in frequency and severity; and 

(4) provision of sustainable livelihoods for local communities throughout the ASEAN region; and 

Whereas, in the invitation for the United States-ASEAN 

Leaders Summit, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., stated 

that ‘‘the United States is committed to ASEAN centrality and remains steadfast in its support for an 


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ASEAN-centered regional architecture at the heart of the 

Indo-Pacific’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) welcomes official representatives from the 

3 Governments of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, 

4 Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and 

5 Vietnam to attend the first United States-ASEAN 

6 Special Summit in Washington, DC; 

7 (2) supports the decision of the Association of 

8 South East Asian Nations (referred to in this resolu9 tion as ‘‘ASEAN’’) to invite non-political representa10 tives from Myanmar to high-level ASEAN events 

11 and, furthermore, welcomes such non-political rep12 resentatives to vocalize concerns on behalf of the 

13 Burmese people at the United States-ASEAN Spe14 cial Summit, and refutes any political representation 

15 for the Burmese junta; 

16 (3) supports and affirms the full implementa17 tion of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 

18 (Public Law 115–409; 132 Stat. 5387 et seq.) with 

19 regard to elevating the relationship between the 

20 United States and ASEAN, including more than 

21 $2,000,000,000 in annual appropriations for foreign 

22 assistance and diplomatic operations in the Indo-Pa23 cific region; 


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1 (4) urges the United States-ASEAN Special 

2 Summit, scheduled for May 12 and 13, 2022, to 

3 prioritize— 

4 (A) democracy, good governance, rule of 

5 law, and human rights and address the trend of 

6 democratic backsliding in Southeast Asia, in7 cluding the 2021 coup in Myanmar; and 

8 (B) the pursuit of a robust economic agen9 da; 

10 (5) reaffirms the importance of United States11 ASEAN economic engagement, including the elimi12 nation of barriers to cross-border commerce, and 

13 supports the goals of the ASEAN Economic Com14 munity (referred to in this resolution as the ‘‘AEC’’) 

15 goals, including strong, inclusive, and sustainable 

16 long-term economic growth and cooperation with the 

17 United States that focuses on innovation and capac18 ity-building efforts in technology, education, disaster 

19 management, food security, human rights, and trade 

20 facilitation, particularly for the poorest ASEAN 

21 member states; 

22 (6) urges ASEAN to continue its efforts to fos23 ter greater integration and unity within the ASEAN 

24 community, as well as to foster greater integration 

25 and unity with non-ASEAN economic, political, and 


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1 security partners, including Japan, the Republic of 

2 Korea, Australia, the European Union, Taiwan, and 

3 India; 

4 (7) calls on ASEAN to reaffirm its commit5 ment, consistent with the fundamental principle in 

6 the ASEAN Charter and Treaty of Amity and Co7 operation, to the sovereignty, independence, unity, 

8 and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its inter9 nationally recognized borders and call for an imme10 diate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces 

11 from Ukraine; 

12 (8) recognizes the value of strategic economic 

13 initiatives like United States-ASEAN Connect, 

14 which demonstrates a commitment to ASEAN and 

15 the AEC and builds upon economic relationships in 

16 the region; 

17 (9) supports ASEAN member states in address18 ing maritime and territorial disputes in a construc19 tive manner and in pursuing claims through peace20 ful, diplomatic, and, as necessary, legitimate regional 

21 and international dispute resolution mechanisms, 

22 consistent with international law, including through 

23 the adoption of a code of conduct in the South 

24 China Sea that represents the interests of all parties 

25 and promotes peace and stability in the region; 


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1 (10) urges all parties involved in the maritime 

2 and territorial disputes in the Indo-Pacific region, 

3 including the Government of the People’s Republic 

4 of China— 

5 (A) to cease any current activities, and 

6 avoid undertaking any actions in the future 

7 that undermine stability or complicate or esca8 late disputes through the use of coercion, in9 timidation, or military force; 

10 (B) to demilitarize islands, reefs, shoals, 

11 and other features, and refrain from new ef12 forts to militarize, including the construction of 

13 new garrisons and facilities and the relocation 

14 of additional military personnel, materiel, or 

15 equipment; 

16 (C) to oppose actions by any country that 

17 prevent other countries from exercising their 

18 sovereign rights to the resources in their exclu19 sive economic zones and continental shelves by 

20 enforcing claims to those areas in the South 

21 China Sea that lack support in international 

22 law; and 

23 (D) to oppose unilateral declarations of ad24 ministrative and military districts in contested 

25 areas in the South China Sea; 


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1 (11) urges parties to refrain from unilateral ac2 tions that cause permanent physical damage to the 

3 marine environment, and supports the efforts of the 

4 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

5 and ASEAN to implement guidelines to address the 

6 illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the 

7 region; 

8 (12) supports efforts by United States partners 

9 and allies in ASEAN— 

10 (A) to enhance maritime capability and 

11 maritime domain awareness; 

12 (B) to protect unhindered access to and 

13 use of international waterways in the Indo-Pa14 cific region that are critical to ensuring the se15 curity and free flow of commerce; 

16 (C) to counter piracy; 

17 (D) to disrupt illicit maritime trafficking 

18 activities, such as the trafficking of persons, 

19 goods, and drugs; and 

20 (E) to enhance the maritime capabilities of 

21 countries or regional organizations to respond 

22 to emerging threats to maritime security in the 

23 Indo-Pacific region; 

24 (13) urges ASEAN member states to develop a 

25 common approach to reaffirm the 2016 decision of 


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1 the Permanent Court of Arbitration in favor of the 

2 Philippines in the case against the People’s Republic 

3 of China for excessive maritime claims; 

4 (14) reaffirms the commitment of the United 

5 States to continue joint efforts with ASEAN to halt 

6 human smuggling and trafficking in persons, and 

7 urges ASEAN to create and strengthen regional 

8 mechanisms to provide assistance and support to 

9 refugees and migrants; 

10 (15) supports the Mekong-U.S. Partnership, 

11 which promotes the stability, peace, prosperity, and 

12 sustainable development of the Mekong sub-region 

13 through cooperation between countries in the 

14 Mekong region and the United States in addressing 

15 transboundary challenges; 

16 (16) urges ASEAN to build capacity for the 

17 promotion and protection of human rights by 

18 ASEAN member states and the implementation of 

19 related priorities, programs, and activities; 

20 (17) urges the governments of such member 

21 states to engage directly with leaders of civil society 

22 and human rights organizations, including advocates 

23 of religious freedom, victims of human rights abuses, 

24 and environmental groups, to ensure these stake25 holders have a voice in constructing public policy; 


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1 (18) encourages the President to communicate 

2 to ASEAN leaders the importance of promoting the 

3 rule of law and open and transparent government, 

4 strengthening civil society, and protecting human 

5 rights, including releasing political prisoners, ceasing 

6 politically motivated prosecutions and arbitrary 

7 killings, and safeguarding freedom of the press, free8 dom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom 

9 of speech and expression; 

10 (19) supports efforts by organizations in 

11 ASEAN that address corruption in the public and 

12 private sectors, enhance anti-bribery compliance, en13 force bribery criminalization in the private sector, 

14 and build beneficial ownership transparency through 

15 the ASEAN–USAID PROSPECT project partnered 

16 with the South East Asia Parties Against Corrup17 tion; 

18 (20) supports the Young Southeast Asian Lead19 ers Initiative as an example of a people-to-people 

20 partnership that provides skills, networks, and lead21 ership training to a new generation who will create 

22 and fill jobs, foster cross-border cooperation and 

23 partnerships, and rise to solve the regional and glob24 al challenges of the future; and 


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1 (21) applauds the governments of ASEAN 

2 member states that have fully upheld and imple3 mented all United Nations Security Council resolu4 tions and international agreements with respect to 

5 nuclear and ballistic missile programs in North 

6 Korea, and encourages all other governments of such 

7 member states to do the same. 

Æ 


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