; and (9) the Secretary of Defense should continue regular transits of United States Navy vessels through the Taiwan Strait, commend the armed forces of France for their April 6, 2019, legal transit of the Taiwan Strait, and encourage allies and partners to follow suit in conducting such transits, in order to demonstrate the commitment of the United States and its allies and partners to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows. 1258. Sense of Senate on United States-India defense relationship It is the sense of the Senate that the United States should strengthen and enhance its major defense partnership with India and work toward the following mutual security objectives: (1) Expanding engagement in multilateral frameworks, including the quadrilateral dialogue among the United States, India, Japan, and Australia, to promote regional security and defend shared values and common interests in the rules-based order. (2) Increasing the frequency and scope of exchanges between senior civilian officials and military officers of the United States and India to support the development and implementation of the major defense partnership. (3) Exploring additional steps to implement the major defense partner designation to better facilitate interoperability, information sharing, and appropriate technology transfers. (4) Pursuing strategic initiatives to help develop the defense capabilities of India. (5) Conducting additional combined exercises with India in the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, and western Pacific regions. (6) Furthering cooperative efforts to promote stability and security in Afghanistan. 1259. Sense of Senate on security commitments to the Governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea and trilateral cooperation among the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea It is the sense of the Senate that— (1) the United States remains committed to its alliances with Japan and the Republic of Korea, which are— (A) the cornerstones of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region