•HRES 704 IH 
near the Senkaku islands, including between 6 and 25 
ships of the Government of China intruding into the Jap-
anese territorial sea each month since September 2012, 
between 26 and 124 ships entering the ‘‘contiguous zone’’ 
in the same time period, and 9 ships intruding into the 
territorial sea and 33 ships entering in the contiguous 
zone in February 2014; 
Whereas, although the United States Government does not 
take a position on the ultimate sovereignty of the 
Senkaku Islands, the United States Government acknowl-
edges that they are under the administration of Japan 
and opposes any unilateral actions that would seek to un-
dermine such administration; 
Whereas the United States Senate has previously affirmed 
that the unilateral actions of a third party will not affect 
the United States acknowledgment of the administration 
of Japan over the Senkaku Islands; 
Whereas the United States remains committed under the 
Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security to respond to 
any armed attack in the territories under the administra-
tion of Japan, has urged all parties to take steps to pre-
vent incidents and manage disagreements through peace-
ful means, and commends the Government of Japan for 
its restrained approach in this regard; 
Whereas both the United States and the People’s Republic of 
China are parties to and are obligated to observe the 
rules of the Convention on the International Regulations 
for Preventing Collisions at Sea, done at London October 
12, 1972 (COLREGs); 
Whereas, on December 5, 2013, the USS Cowpens was law-
fully operating in international waters in the South China 
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•HRES 704 IH 
Sea when a People’s Liberation Army Navy vessel report-
edly crossed its bow at a distance of less than 500 yards 
and stopped in the water, forcing the USS Cowpens to 
take evasive action to avoid a collision; 
Whereas the reported actions taken by the People’s Libera-
tion Army Navy vessel in the USS Cowpens’ incident, as 
publicly reported, appear contrary to the international 
legal obligations of the People’s Republic of China under 
COLREGs; 
Whereas, on May 1, 2014, the People’s Republic of China’s 
state-owned energy company, CNOOC, placed its deep-
water semi-submersible drilling rig Hai Yang Shi You 
981 (HD–981), accompanied by over 25 Chinese ships, 
in Block 143, 120 nautical miles off Vietnam’s coastline; 
Whereas, from May 1 to May 9, 2014, the number of Chinese 
vessels escorting HD–981 increased to more than 80, in-
cluding seven military ships, which aggressively patrolled 
and intimidated Vietnamese Coast Guard ships in viola-
tion of COLREGs, reportedly intentionally rammed mul-
tiple Vietnamese vessels, and used helicopters and water 
cannons to obstruct others; 
Whereas, on May 5, 2014, vessels from the Maritime Safety 
Administration of China (MSAC) established an exclusion 
zone with a radius of three nautical miles around HD– 
981, which undermines maritime safety in the area and 
is in violation of universally recognized principles of 
International Law, including the 1982 United Nations 
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); 
Whereas the People’s Republic of China is looking to expand 
its presence in the contested Spratly archipelago by 
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•HRES 704 IH 
means of land reclamation in an effort to add several new 
islands to the existing Johnston South Reef; 
Whereas, on January 19, 1998, the United States and Peo-
ple’s Republic of China signed the Military Maritime 
Consultative Agreement, creating a mechanism for con-
sultation and coordination on operational safety issues in 
the maritime domain between the United States and the 
People’s Republic of China; 
Whereas the Western Pacific Naval Symposium, inaugurated 
in 1988 and comprising the navies of Australia, Brunei, 
Cambodia, Canada, Chile, France, Indonesia, Japan, Ma-
laysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the People’s 
Republic of China, the Philippines, the Republic of 
Korea, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, 
Tonga, the United States, and Vietnam, whose countries 
all border the Pacific Ocean region, provides a forum 
where leaders of regional navies can meet to discuss coop-
erative initiatives, discuss regional and global maritime 
issues, and undertake exercises to strengthen norms and 
practices that contribute to operational safety, including 
protocols for unexpected encounters at sea, common ways 
of communication, common ways of operating, and com-
mon ways of engagement; 
Whereas, Japan and the People’s Republic of China sought 
to negotiate a Maritime Communications Mechanism be-
tween the defense authorities and a Maritime Search and 
Rescue Agreement and agreed in principle to these agree-
ments to address operational safety on the maritime do-
mains but failed to sign them; 
Whereas the Changi Command and Control Center in Singa-
pore provides a platform for all the countries of the 
Western Pacific to share information on what kind of 
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•HRES 704 IH 
contact at sea occurs and to provide a common oper-
ational picture for the region; 
Whereas 2014 commemorates the 35th anniversary of nor-
malization of diplomatic relations between the United 
States and the People’s Republic of China, and the 
United States welcomes the development of a peaceful 
and prosperous China that becomes a responsible inter-
national stakeholder, the government of which respects 
international norms, international laws, international in-
stitutions, and international rules; enhances security and 
peace; and seeks to advance relations between the United 
States and China; and 
Whereas ASEAN plays an important role, in partnership 
with others in the regional and international community, 
in addressing maritime security issues in the Asia-Pacific 
region and the Indian Ocean, including open access to 
the maritime domain of Asia; Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, 
SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 
The House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns coercive and threatening actions 
or the use of force to impede freedom of operations 
in international airspace by military or civilian air-
craft, to alter the status quo or to destabilize the 
Asia-Pacific region; 
(2) urges the Government of the People’s Re-
public of China to refrain from implementing the de-
clared East China Sea Air Defense Identification 
Zone (ADIZ), which is contrary to freedom of over-
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•HRES 704 IH 
flight in international airspace, and to refrain from 
taking similar provocative actions elsewhere in the 
Asia-Pacific region; and 
(3) commends the Governments of Japan and 
of the Republic of Korea for their restraint, and 
commends the Government of the Republic of Korea 
for engaging in a deliberate process of consultations 
with the United States, Japan and China prior to 
announcing its adjustment of its Air Defense Identi-
fication Zone on December 9, 2013, and for its com-
mitment to implement this adjusted Air Defense 
Identification Zone (ADIZ) in a manner consistent 
with international practice and respect for the free-
dom of overflight and other internationally lawful 
uses of international airspace. 
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States to— 
(1) reaffirm its unwavering commitment and 
support for allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific 
region, including longstanding United States policy 
regarding Article V of the United States-Philippines 
Mutual Defense Treaty and that Article V of the 
United States-Japan Mutual Defense Treaty applies 
to the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands; 
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