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Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018

H.R. 6888 · 115th Congress · Sep 25, 2018 · Lineage

A BILL

To develop a long-term strategic vision and a comprehensive, multifaceted, and principled United States policy for the Indo-Pacific region, and for other purposes.

Section 1 Short title; table of contents

(a)
Short title— This Act may be cited as the “Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018”.
(b)
Table of contents— The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 2 Findings

Congress makes the following findings:
(1)
The Indo-Pacific region—
(A)
represents nearly 50 percent of the global population;
(B)
is home to some of the most dynamic economies in the world; and
(C)
poses security challenges that threaten to undermine United States national security interests, regional peace, and global stability.
(2)
The core tenets of the United States-backed international system are being challenged, including by—
(A)
China’s illegal construction and militarization of artificial features in the South China Sea and coercive economic practices;
(B)
North Korea’s acceleration of its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities; and
(C)
the increased presence throughout Southeast Asia of the Islamic State (referred to in this Act as “ISIS”) and other international terrorist organizations that threaten the United States.
(3)
The economic order in the Indo-Pacific region continues to transform, presenting opportunities and challenges to United States economic interests.
(4)
The United States has a fundamental interest in defending human rights and promoting the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific region. Although many countries in the region have improved the treatment of their citizens, several Indo-Pacific governments continue to commit human rights abuses and place restrictions on basic human rights and political and civil liberties.
(5)
Without strong leadership from the United States, the international system, fundamentally rooted in the rule of law, may wither, to the detriment of United States, regional, and global interests. It is imperative that the United States continue to play a leading role in the Indo-Pacific region by—
(A)
defending peace and security;
(B)
advancing economic prosperity; and
(C)
promoting respect for fundamental human rights.
(6)
The United States National Security Strategy (referred to in this Act as the “National Security Strategy”), which was released in December 2017, states—
(A)
“A geopolitical competition between free and repressive visions of world order is taking place in the Indo-Pacific region. The region, which stretches from the west coast of India to the western shores of the United States, represents the most populous and economically dynamic part of the world. The United States interest in a free and open Indo-Pacific extends back to the earliest days of our republic.”; and
(B)
“Our vision for the Indo-Pacific excludes no nation. We will redouble our commitment to established alliances and partnerships, while expanding and deepening relationships with new partners that share respect for sovereignty, fair and reciprocal trade, and the rule of law. We will reinforce our commitment to freedom of the seas and the peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes in accordance with international law. We will work with allies and partners to achieve complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and preserve the non-proliferation regime in Northeast Asia.”.