119-hr5329

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5329 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5329

To authorize the establishment of a Regional China Officer Program Unit 
in the Department of State to monitor and assess the global presence of 
the People's Republic of China and to help United States diplomatic and 
consular posts abroad address its malign influence and activities, and 
 for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 11, 2025

 Mr. Meeks (for himself and Mr. Mackenzie) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To authorize the establishment of a Regional China Officer Program Unit 
in the Department of State to monitor and assess the global presence of 
the People's Republic of China and to help United States diplomatic and 
consular posts abroad address its malign influence and activities, and 
 for other purposes.

 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 ``Regional China Officer Authorization 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) The Department of State started the Regional China 
 Officer

    (RCO) program in 2019 with six officers deployed 
 overseas.

    (2) As of January 2025, the program had grown in size to 20 
 RCO positions, spanning across all the regional bureaus.

    (3) RCOs assess and report on emerging patterns in activity 
 by the People's Republic of China

    (PRC) , help United States 
 diplomatic missions focus on the most important, PRC-related, 
 United States priorities, and help coordinate effective 
 messaging and strategies to counter PRC malign influence in the 
 region.

    (4) The RCO program is part of the Office of China 
 Coordination in the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs at 
 the State Department.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

 It is the sense of Congress that--

    (1) the United States is engaged in a global competition 
 for influence with the People's Republic of China

    (PRC) , which 
 requires that the United States adequately monitor and analyze 
 PRC malign activity that is contrary to United States interests 
 globally;

    (2) the RCO program is a key asset for the Department of 
 State in the context of strategic competition with China at the 
 global, regional, and subregional levels; and

    (3) the United States must continue to counter PRC 
 activities that seek to coerce other countries, distort 
 markets, and undermine United States interests.

SEC. 4. REGIONAL CHINA PROGRAM UNIT.

    (a) Authorization.--The Secretary of State shall establish within 
the Office of China Coordination of the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific 
Affairs a Regional China Officer Program Unit.

    (b) Staffing.--The Regional China Officer Program Unit shall be 
comprised of--

    (1) one Director appointed in accordance with subsection
            (c) ; and

    (2) not fewer than 20 forward-deployed Foreign Service 
 Officers assigned to United States diplomatic or consular posts 
 or detailed to the foreign ministry of an ally, to be known as 
 Regional China Officers

    (RCOs) , who shall be responsible for--
        (A) monitoring and reporting on activities of the 
 People's Republic of China in the region of his or her 
 responsibility, including in the commercial, 
 development, finance, critical infrastructure, 
 technology, and military domains, including projects 
 associated with the PRC's Belt and Road Initiative, 
 Global Security Initiative, and Global Development 
 Initiative; and
        (B) advising United States embassy personnel, 
 diplomatic allies and partners, and host countries on 
 how to understand and address PRC activities globally 
 and locally.
            (c) Director of the Regional China Officer Program.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
 the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall appoint 
 a Director for the Regional China Officer Program Unit from 
 among career members of the Foreign Service.

    (2) Limitation on position.--The establishment of the 
 position of the Director pursuant to this section shall not 
 result in an increase in the overall full-time equivalent 
 positions within the Department.

    (3) Responsibilities.--The Director shall be responsible 
 for coordinating and overseeing the activities of RCOs in order 
 to--
        (A) improve United States responsiveness to 
 activities, strategies and tactics of the People's 
 Republic of China

    (PRC) ;
        (B) ensure that RCO program activities increase the 
 knowledge, understanding, and trust of the United 
 States by relevant target audiences;
            (C) identify gaps in United States engagements 
 regarding PRC cross-cutting activities; and
            (D) manage hiring for RCO positions.
            (d) Regional China Officers.--

    (1) Qualifications.--The Secretary of State shall select 
 and assign RCOs from among Foreign Service Officrs who have 
 expertise related to the PRC, including in the forms of prior 
 experience working in or on China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and 
 proficiency in Mandarin language.

    (2) Geographic placement.--Of the total number of RCOs in 
 the Regional China Officer Program Unit, there shall be no 
 fewer than 2 Regional China Officers assigned to United States 
 diplomatic posts associated with each of the following 
 bureaus--
        (A) Bureau of African Affairs;
        (B) Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs;
            (C) Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs;
            (D) Bureau of International Organization Affairs;
        (E) Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs;
        (F) Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs; and
        (G) Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--

    (1) Expansion of the rco program.--There is authorized to 
 be appropriated $2,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 
 through 2030 to--
        (A) expand the RCO program at strategic United 
 States diplomatic missions and at the foreign 
 ministries of allies; and
        (B) support the management of the RCO program, 
 including one Locally Employed Staff support position 
 in each geographic region.

    (2) Programs and activities.--There is authorized to be 
 appropriated $1,250,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 
 2030 with up to $50,000 for each Regional China Officer to 
 support programs and public diplomacy activities of the 
 Regional China Officer Program.

    (3) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
 authorizations under this section are authorized to remain 
 available until expended and shall be in addition to amounts 
 otherwise authorized to be appropriated for the Countering PRC 
 Influence Fund.

    (f) Sunset.--The requirement to maintain the Regional China Officer 
Program Unit and the Regional China Officer Program under subsection

    (a) shall expire on the date that is 5 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.

    (g) Ally Defined.--In this Act, the term ``ally'' means only--

    (1) a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty 
 Organization; or

    (2) a country designated as a major non-NATO ally pursuant 
 to the authorities provided by 

section 517 of the Foreign 
 Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321k).
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