March 12, 2025
Mr. Lankford introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
To establish the position of Country China Officer in the Department of State to monitor and counter financing projects around the world that are backed by the People's Republic of China.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Belt and Road Oversight Act
.
Sec. 2. Country China Officer
(a) Designation
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall direct all Chiefs of Mission to designate 1 Foreign Service Officer in a United States embassy or other diplomatic post in each country with whom the United States has diplomatic relations as Country China Officer.
(b) Duties
Each Country China Officer shall monitor and report on the activity of the People’s Republic of China in his or her country of responsibility, including capital investment in critical infrastructure and other projects associated with the People's Republic of China, including the Belt and Road Initiative.
(c) Sunset
The requirement to designate Country China Officers under subsection (a) shall expire on the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Sec. 3. Comprehensive review of Belt and Road Initiative projects
(a) Report
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall direct all United States embassies, working through the designated Country China Officer, to prepare a report that details assets within their respective country of operation that are controlled or financed by the Government of the People's Republic of China or a state-owned enterprise in the People's Republic of China.
(b) Contents
Each report required under subsection (a) shall include—
(1)
an assessment of the respective country’s debt obligations to the People’s Republic of China;
(2)
a list of known infrastructure projects in the respective country that are financed from capital provided by—
(A)
the banking system of the People’s Republic of China, including—
(i)
policy banks, including—
(I)
the China Development Bank;
(II)
the Export-Import Bank of China; and
(III)
the Agricultural Development Bank of China;
(ii)
state-owned commercial banks, including—
(I)
the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China;
(II)
the Agricultural Bank of China;
(III)
the China Construction Bank;
(IV)
the Bank of Communications Limited; and
(V)
the Bank of China;
(iii)
sovereign wealth funds, including—
(I)
the China Investment Corporation;
(II)
China Life Insurance Company;
(III)
the China National Social Security Fund; and
(IV)
the Silk Road Fund;
(iv)
urban commercial banks; and
(v)
rural financial institutions;
(B)
international financing institutions, including—
(i)
the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; and
(ii)
the New Development Bank; and
(C)
any other financial institution or entity otherwise controlled, overseen, or managed by the Government of the People's Republic of China;
(3)
the identification of the infrastructure projects referred to in paragraph (2) that are projects under the Belt and Road Initiative;
(4)
an assessment of projects that have caused the country to incur significant debt that has the potential to harm its economic prosperity and national sovereignty;
(5)
a list of the known or speculated collateral listed by the respective country for the debts incurred by Belt and Road Initiative projects referred to in paragraph (1);
(6)
a list of the known assets owned by the Government of the People's Republic of China or state-owned enterprises in the People's Republic of China, including telecommunications and critical infrastructure; and
(7)
a list of known activities at research institutions or institutions of higher education controlled or financed by the Government of the People’s Republic of China or state-owned enterprises in the People’s Republic of China.
(c) Submission and distribution of report
(1) Initial submission
Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary of State issues the directive described in subsection (a), the Chief of Mission in each country shall submit the report required under subsection (a) to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
(2) Distribution
The Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs shall prepare and distribute a report that includes all of the information from the individual country reports received pursuant to paragraph (1) to—
(A)
the heads of other bureaus and agencies of the Department of State, as appropriate;
(B)
the United States International Development Finance Corporation;
(C)
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(D)
the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
(E)
the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate;
(F)
the Committee on Finance of the Senate;
(G)
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives;
(H)
the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives;
(I)
the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives; and
(J)
the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives.
Sec. 4. Notification of future Belt and Road Initiative projects
After the preparation and submission of the reports required under section 3(a), the Secretary of State shall require the respective embassy and the China Desk at the Department of State to inform the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs of any project described in section 3(b)(2) not later than 30 days after the date on which the Country China Officer is informed of such project.
Sec. 5. Annual comprehensive report of Belt and Road Initiative projects
During the 10-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs shall submit an annual report to Congress that—
(1)
contains all findings relating to projects controlled or financed by the Government of the People's Republic of China or state-owned enterprises in the People’s Republic of China submitted by Country China Officers through the process described in sections 3 and 4 during the 12-month reporting period; and
(2)
includes updated findings and analyses related to paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) of section 3(b).
Sec. 6. Annual Strategy to Counter PRC Influence
(a) In general
The Country China Officer at each respective embassy, in consultation with the Chief of Mission for the respective country, shall develop a comprehensive, country-specific strategy to counter the influence of the People's Republic of China, including a plan to counter anti-American messaging by the People's Republic of China, within their country of responsibility.
(b) Use of strategy
The strategy developed pursuant to subsection (a) shall be used to equip all personnel across all embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic posts in the respective country of responsibility with the tools needed to effectively counter the influence of the People's Republic of China in their respective context and country of responsibility.
(c) Submission
During the 10-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, each Chief of Mission shall submit an annual report to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs that—
(1)
describes the implementation of the strategy developed pursuant to subsection (a) during the reporting period; and
(2)
assesses specific challenges and opportunities relating to the People's Republic of China in the respective country of responsibility.
(d) Distribution
The Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs shall submit an annual report that summarizes the information contained in the reports received pursuant to subsection (c) to the heads of the bureaus of the Department of State, as appropriate.
(e) Exclusions
Countries with limited or no investments by the Government of the People's Republic of China shall be excluded from the strategy developed pursuant to subsection (a).
Sec. 7. Procurement projections
(a) Annual report
During the 10-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Country China Officer at each respective embassy, in consultation with other embassy personnel, shall submit an annual report to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs that—
(1)
describes the procurement and infrastructure needs of their respective country of responsibility; and
(2)
assesses specific challenges and opportunities relating to potential financing by the People's Republic of China for procurement and infrastructure projects to meet such needs.
(b) Distribution
The Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs shall submit an annual report summarizing the information contained in the reports received pursuant to subsection (a) to—
(1)
the heads of the bureaus of the Department of State, as appropriate; and
(2)
other instrumentalities of the Federal Government, including the United States International Development Finance Corporation.
Sec. 8. Sense of Congress regarding development finance
It is the sense of Congress that, as the People’s Republic of China's influence grows through infrastructure (particularly infrastructure that can easily be shifted from economic to military uses), the United States International Development Finance Corporation should prioritize providing alternative financing opportunities that increase port and air field capacity of countries that—
(1)
meet the investment criteria set forth in title II of the BUILD Act of 2018 (division F of Public Law 115–254; 22 U.S.C. 9621 et seq.); and
(2)
are targets of the predatory infrastructure development scheme of the People’s Republic of China commonly known as the Belt and Road Initiative.