105 STAT. 1462 PUBLIC LAW 102-190—DEC. 5, 1991 SEC. 1042. REDUCTION IN AUTHORIZED END STRENGTH FOR THE NUMBER OF MILITARY PERSONNEL IN EUROPE. (a) REDUCTION.— Section 1002(c)(l) of the Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1985 (22 U.S.C. 1928 note), is amended in the first sentence by striking out "261,855" and inserting in lieu thereof " 235,700". (b) WAIVER AUTHORITY.— Such section is amended in the third sentence— (1) by striking out "261,855" and inserting in lieu thereof "235,700 "; and (2) by striking out "311,855" and inserting in lieu thereof "261,855 ". SEC. 1043. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AND DISTRIBUTION OF RESPON- SIBILITIES FOR THE SECURITY OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC. (a) FINDINGS. —Congress makes the following findings: (1) The alliance between the United States and its allies in East Asia contributes greatly to the security of that region. (2) It is in the national interest of the United States to maintain a forward military and naval presence in East Asia. (3) The pace of economic, political, and social advances in many of the East Asian countries, particularly Japan and South Korea, continues to accelerate. (4) As a result of such advances the capacity of those countries to contribute to the responsibilities for their own defense has increased dramatically. (5) While the level of defense burdensharing by Japan and South Korea has increased, continued acceleration of the rate of transfer of that burden is desirable. (6) The United States remains committed to the security of its friends and allies in Asia and the Pacific Rim region. 0?) SENSE OF CONGRESS. — It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the United States should regularly review the missions, force structure, and locations of its military forces in Asia and the Pacific, including Hawaii; (2) the United States should also regularly review its basing structure in the Pacific and Asia, with special attention to developments in the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea, and determine basing, forward deployments, maritime and land base prepositioning, amphibious forces, and strategic lift to meet evolving strategic needs; (3) the United States should regularly review the threats and potential threats to regional peace, the United States, and its friends and allies; (4) the United States should continue to assess the feasibility and desirability of the ongoing partial, gradual reduction of military forces in Asia and the Pacific; (5) in view of the advances referred to in subsection (a)(3), Japan and South Korea should continue to assume increased responsibility for their own security and the security of the region; (6) Japan and South Korea should continue to offset the direct costs incurred by the United States in deploying military forces for the defense of those countries including costs related to the presence of United States military forces in those countries; and (7) Japan should continue to contribute to improvements to global stability by contributing to countries in regions of impor-
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