; Whereas the Lower Mekong Initiative, established on July 23, 2009, is a multinational effort that helps promote sustainable economic development in mainland Southeast Asia to foster integrated, multisectoral, subregional cooperation and capacity building; Whereas the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) was signed by all members of ASEAN and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on November 4, 2002, committing ASEAN and the PRC to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and reaffirming that the adoption of a code of conduct in the South China Sea would further promote peace and stability in the region and agree to work, on the basis of consensus, toward the eventual attainment of this objective ; Whereas the leaders of the United States and ASEAN, at their Special Leaders Summit in Sunnylands, California, on February 16, 2016, reaffirmed their shared commitment to maintain peace, security, and stability in the region. Whereas the United States supports the East Asia Summit (EAS) as the premier leaders-led forum for dialogue and cooperation on political, security, and economic issues in the region and commends the direction set in the Kuala Lampur Declaration at the EAS 10th anniversary, including the new exchange mechanism for EAS members’ ambassadors; Whereas ASEAN is a partner to the United States on key transnational challenges, such as terrorism, violent extremism, environmental degradation, pollution, energy, infectious diseases, disarmament, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, cybersecurity, trafficking in persons, illicit trafficking of wildlife and timber, and illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing