,,iii #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #adb ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #be1 #bjba,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,hagerty1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mr4 ,romney1 and ,mr4 ,coons7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,recognizing the importance of the ,united ,states-,japan relationship to safeguarding global security1 prosperity1 and human rights and welcoming the visit of ,prime ,minister ,yoshihide ,suga to the ,united ,states4 ,whereas the ,united ,states-,japan alliance is a cornerstone of global peace and stability and underscores the past1 present1 and future ,united ,states commitment to the stability and prosperity of ,japan and the ,indo-,pacific region2 ,whereas the ,united ,states and ,japan established diplomatic relations on ,march #ca1 #ahed1 with the signing of the ,treaty of ,peace and ,amity2 ,whereas #bjba marks the #gfth anniversary of the end of ,world ,war ,,ii1 a conflict in which the ,united ,states and ,japan were enemies1 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 future2 ,whereas1 ,january #ai1 #bjba1 marked the #fast anniversary of the signing of the ,treaty of ,mutual ,cooperation and ,security between the ,united ,states and ,japan2 ,whereas the ,u4,s4-,japan ,security ,consultative ,committee 7#bb7 met on ,march #af1 #bjba1 in ,tokyo and reaffirmed that the ,u4,s4-,japan ,alliance remains the cornerstone of peace1 security1 and prosperity in the ,indo-,pacific region2 ,whereas the ,american and ,japanese people share deeply rooted values of defending freedom1 championing economic and social opportunity and inclusion1 and respecting the rule of law2 ,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 #i_/aa attacks and ,hurricane ,katrina1 and ,americans supporting ,japan in the aftermath of the ,great ,east ,japan ,earthquake1 ten years ago this month1 through ,operation ,tomodachi2 ,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 level1 often supported by the governments of the ,united ,states and ,japan2 ,whereas there are more than #cj1jjj ,united ,states alumni of the ,government of ,japan-sponsored ,japan ,exchange and ,teaching 7,,jet7 program1 including nearly #bjj ,,jet program alumni working at the ,department of ,state2 ,whereas the ,fulbright program has sent nearly #g1ejj young ,japanese on ,fulbright scholarships to the ,united ,states since #aieb1 and there are #cg ,united ,states-based ,japan-,america ,society chapters1 and the ,united ,states and ,japan also share more sister city relationships than any other two countries2 ,whereas the governments and people of the ,united ,states and ,japan share a commitment to free and open markets1 high standards for the free flow of commerce and trade1 and the establishment of an inclusive architecture for regional and global trade and development2 ,whereas the ,united ,states and ,japan are top trading partners that exchange over #cjj1jjj1jjj1jjj worth of goods and services each year1 ,japan serves as the biggest cumulative ,foreign ,direct ,investment 7,,fdi7 contributor to the ,united ,states and the biggest job creator in the ,united ,states manufacturing sector regarding trade1 and the ,united ,states-,japan bilateral economic relationship is one of strongest in the world2 ,whereas the ,united ,states and ,japan are working closely via whole-of-government initiatives1 bilateral partnerships1 cooperation with like-minded countries1 multilateral mechanisms including the ,asia-,pacific ,economic ,cooperation 7,,apec7 forum1 and enhanced private-sector engagement to assist countries in the ,indo-,pacific and across the globe to catalyze investment in infrastructure1 energy1 and the digital economy to promote connectivity and economic growth2 ,whereas ,united ,states-,japan economic cooperation has also led to close collaboration in science and technology and promoted shared values in research1 including on ,,covid-#ai response1 the digital economy1 national security-focused investment screening1 quantum sciences1 artificial intelligence1 space exploration1 biosciences1 collaborative #e;,g networks1 and interoperable approaches for ,open ,,ran 7radio access network7 technologies2 ,whereas1 following a year of delay due to the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 ,japan will host the ,olympic and ,paralympic ,games in the summer of #bjba1 bringing together athletes from around the world in a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit2 ,whereas a robust and effective trilateral relationship between and among the ,united ,states1 the ,,rok1 and ,japan is critical for joint security and interests in defending freedom and democracy1 upholding human rights1 championing women's empowerment1 combating climate change1 promoting regional and global peace1 security1 and the rule of law in the ,indo-,pacific and across the globe2 ,whereas a robust and effective trilateral relationship between and among the ,united ,states1 the ,,rok1 and ,japan is critical for joint security and interests in defending freedom and democracy1 upholding human rights1 championing women's empowerment1 combating climate change1 promoting regional and global peace1 security1 and the rule of law in the ,indo-,pacific and across the globe2 ,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 beyond1 including its commitment on collective self defense under ,japan's laws1 which strengthens the alliance's ability to defend ,japan and to continue safeguard regional security2 ,whereas the ,united ,states-,japan alliance is essential for ensuring maritime security and freedom of navigation1 commerce1 and overflight in the waters of the ,east ,china ,sea2 ,whereas the ,united ,states invests significant military resources and capabilities to meet the ,alliance's current and future security challenges and through the ,u4,s4-,japan ,host ,nation ,support framework1 the ,government of ,japan shares the costs of stationing ,united ,states forces in ,japan2 ,whereas the ,united ,states and ,japan1 together with ,australia and ,india1 form a quadrilateral security cooperation known as the ,quad which met on ,march #ab1 #bjba1 and reaffirmed its commitment to a shared vision for an ,indo-,pacific region that is free1 open1 inclusive1 healthy1 anchored by democratic values1 and unconstrained by coercion2 ,whereas people-to-people ties between the ,united ,states and ,japan are long-standing and deep1 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 #aiab1 and the cherry blossom festivals currently taking place across our ,nation1 signifying an unbreakable bond between the two nations2 and ,whereas1 in ,april #bjba1 ,prime ,minister ,yoshihide ,suga will visit the ,united ,states at the invitation of ,president ,joe ,biden3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 welcomes ,prime ,minister ,yoshihide ,suga to the ,united ,states2 7#b7 reaffirms the importance of the ,united ,states-,japan alliance for maintaining peace and stability and fostering a free and open ,indo-,pacific region and beyond2 7#c7 supports ongoing efforts to further strengthen the ,united ,states-,japan alliance1 including the ,u4,s4-,japan ,security ,consultative ,committee 7#bb7 to confront threats posed by aggressive actors that threaten the peace and safety of both nations2 7#d7 supports strong cooperation between the ,united ,states and ,japan in safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation1 commerce1 and overflight in the ,east and ,south ,china ,seas2 7#e7 affirms the ,senkaku ,islands fall within the scope of ,article ,v of the ,u4,s4-,japan ,treaty of ,mutual ,cooperation and ,security1 and remain opposed to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the ,east ,china ,sea or undermine ,japan's administration of these islands2 7#f7 acknowledges ,japan's critical role as the sole ,east ,asian member of the ,quad1 which commits to a shared vision for a free and inclusive ,indo-,pacific region2 7#g7 stands in solidarity with ,japan as it seeks justice and accountability for its abductees1 and pledges the full support of the ,united ,states for ,japan in seeking to resolve this issue2 7#h7 recognizes the support of the ,government of ,japan in addressing global challenges1 including ,,covid-#ai challenges1 that threaten the health and safety of people everywhere2 7#i7 supports the expansion of academic and cultural exchanges between the ,united ,states and ,japan1 especially efforts to encourage ,japanese students to study at universities in the ,united ,states1 and vice versa1 to deepen people-to-people ties2 7#aj7 encourages the expansion of collaboration for research and development of new and emerging cyber technologies with ,japan1 especially to address global challenges posed by the proliferation of digital authoritarianism2 7#aa7 promotes deepening the economic and trade ties between the ,united ,states and ,japan1 including the empowerment of women1 which is vital for the prosperity of both our nations1 the ,indo-,pacific region1 and the world2 and 7#ab7 calls for continued cooperation between the governments of the ,united ,states and ,japan in the promotion of human rights4