Representative Ami Bera questions public health officials during a House Coronavirus Subcommittee hearing on pandemic preparedness, November 14, 2024, on Capitol Hill. (Getty Images)
Representative Ami Bera questions public health officials during a House Coronavirus Subcommittee hearing on pandemic preparedness, November 14, 2024, on Capitol Hill. (Getty Images)

A US House committee passed a bill Tuesday to establish an interparliamentary trilateral dialogue among South Korea, the United States and Japan as part of efforts to deepen cooperation in tackling shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee endorsed the US-Japan-ROK Trilateral Cooperation Act aimed at creating permanent channels of communication and coordination among the three countries' legislative bodies, according to the office of Rep. Ami Bera, ranking member of the subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific.

"As we face growing threats in the Indo-Pacific, now is the time to invest in our closest alliances rooted in democratic principles," Bera said in a statement.

"This bill creates a permanent forum for lawmakers from the United States, Japan, and South Korea to meet regularly, exchange ideas, and coordinate on challenges ranging from maritime security and economic growth to safeguarding democratic institutions," he added.

The lawmaker said the legislative effort builds on the momentum from the first standalone trilateral summit that the leaders of the three countries held at Camp David in Maryland in August 2023 to strengthen three-way cooperation.

Bera introduced the bill, while Reps. Joe Wilson, Mike Kelly, Joaquin Castro, Adrian Smith and the late Gerry Connolly co-led the legislation.