1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Southeast Asia Strategy Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Southeast Asia is the fulcrum of the Indo-Pacific region and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional intergovernmental organization, remains the centerpiece of the Indo-Pacific region’s architecture. (2) The United States has reaffirmed that the security and sovereignty of its Southeast Asian allies and partners, including a strong, independent ASEAN, remain vital to the security, prosperity, and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. (3) The United States has committed to reinvigorating its longstanding security alliances with the Philippines and Thailand, as well as bolstering partnerships with a range of Southeast Asian nations. (4) A central element of United States strategy for the Indo-Pacific region is strengthening United States alliances and partnerships and working with and through allies and partners to address common challenges and to enhance shared capabilities. (5) ASEAN member states are critical United States security partners in preventing violent extremism, protecting the freedom and openness of the maritime domain, engaging in global peacekeeping operations, and preventing the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction. (6) ASEAN member states are vital to the prosperity of the United States economy and exports to ASEAN economies support more than 500,000 jobs in the United States. (7) The United States and ASEAN have recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of their ties and established a new strategic partnership that will enhance cooperation across the economic, political-security, and people-to-people pillars of the relationship. 3. Statement of policy It is the policy of the United States to— (1) cooperate more closely with the ASEAN and ASEAN member states in the interest of promoting peace, security, and stability in the Indo-Pacific region