; (2) to reaffirm that the United States commitments to South Korea and Japan, as codified under the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Republic of Korea (1954) and the Mutual Security Treaty between the United States and Japan (1951), are not contingent on the state of the United States’ relations with North Korea or any progress that may be made towards North Korea’s denuclearization; (3) to reaffirm United States extended deterrence commitments to Japan and South Korea, including through maintaining forward-deployed United States military forces; (4) to reaffirm the importance of the forward-deployed presence of United States military forces in Japan and South Korea that continues to play a critical role in safeguarding the peaceful and stable rules-based international order that benefits all countries; (5) to reaffirm close alliance coordination on any adjustment of United States military posture in the region; (6) to strengthen United States efforts to confront emerging or asymmetric challenges, including in the cyber and space domains; (7) to safeguard maritime security and ensure freedom of navigation, commerce, and overflight in the region; (8) to cooperate with allies and partners in the provision of public goods to the region, including humanitarian relief and disaster response