; Whereas Japan has contributed to supporting the Indo-Pacific region’s development, stability, and prosperity through the Quad’s positive, practical agenda with the United States, Australia, and India, including through the third in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit in May 2023, where Quad members reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient ; Whereas Japan has worked with the members of the Quad to strengthen cooperation on health security, environment, maritime domain awareness, critical and emerging technologies, space, infrastructure development, cyber resilience, and more; Whereas Japan has contributed to the promotion of quality infrastructure investment, and the United States and Japan continue to share an interest in energy security and cooperation on advanced energy technologies; Whereas Japan has made critical contributions to the development of Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) technology and worked closely with the United States to promote an open, free, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet, including through initiatives such as the Global Digital Connectivity Partnership; Whereas, in June 2023, Japan joined the United States and Australia in signing an agreement to develop a $95,000,000 undersea cable project that is expected to connect more than 100,000 individuals across three countries in the Pacific; Whereas Japan is one of the largest trading partners of the United States, with bilateral trade totaling over $300,000,000,000 in 2022, and Japan continues to hold the largest share of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the United States, making the United States-Japan bilateral economic relationship one of the world’s strongest