S. 1011 — Belt and Road Oversight Act

This section requires the Secretary of State, not later than 60 days after enactment, to direct Chiefs of Mission to designate one Foreign Service Officer as Country China Officer in each U.S. embassy or diplomatic post in countries with which the United States has diplomatic relations. Each Country China Officer must monitor and report on activities of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in their country of assignment, including capital investments in critical infrastructure and other projects associated with the PRC, such as the Belt and Road Initiative. The designation requirement sunsets 10 years after enactment.

This section directs the Secretary of State, not later than 60 days after enactment, to require each U.S. embassy—working through its designated Country China Officer—to prepare a report on assets controlled or financed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) government or state-owned enterprises in that country. Each report must include (1) an assessment of the country's debt obligations to the PRC; (2) a list of infrastructure projects financed by PRC policy banks (e.g., China Development Bank, Export-Import Bank of China), state-owned commercial banks (e.g., Industrial and Commercial Bank of China), sovereign wealth funds (e.g., China Investment Corporation), international institutions (e.g., Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, New Development Bank), and other PRC-controlled entities; (3) identification of such projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, China's global infrastructure strategy); (4) an assessment of projects causing significant debt that may harm economic prosperity and national sovereignty; (5) known or speculated collateral for BRI-related debts; (6) known PRC/SOE-owned assets, including telecommunications and critical infrastructure; and (7) known PRC/SOE-controlled activities at research institutions or higher education facilities. Not later than one year after the directive, each Chief of Mission submits the report to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, who compiles and distributes it to Department of State bureaus and agencies, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and specified congressional committees (i.e., Foreign Relations/Affairs, Armed Services, Intelligence, and Finance/Ways and Means in each chamber).

This section directs the Secretary of State, after submission of reports required under section 3(a), to require U.S. embassies and the Department of State's China Desk to notify the Under Secretary for Political Affairs of any Belt and Road Initiative project described in section 3(b)(2) within 30 days after the Country China Officer is informed of such project.

This section directs the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs to submit an annual report to Congress on Belt and Road Initiative projects controlled or financed by the People's Republic of China or its state-owned enterprises during the 10-year period beginning on the date of enactment. The report must (1) contain all findings submitted by Country China Officers through the processes described in sections 3 and 4 during the prior 12-month period and (2) include updated findings and analyses related to paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) of section 3(b).

This section requires the Country China Officer at each U.S. embassy, in consultation with the Chief of Mission, to develop a comprehensive, country-specific strategy to counter People's Republic of China (PRC) influence—including a plan to counter anti-American messaging—in the country of responsibility, excluding countries with limited or no PRC government investments. The strategy equips personnel across all embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic posts in that country with tools to counter PRC influence effectively. For the 10-year period beginning on the date of enactment, each Chief of Mission must submit an annual report to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs describing strategy implementation and assessing PRC-related challenges and opportunities; the Under Secretary must submit an annual summary of those reports to appropriate State Department bureau heads.

This section directs the Country China Officer at each U.S. embassy, in consultation with other embassy personnel, to submit an annual report to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs during the 10-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act. The report must (1) describe the procurement and infrastructure needs of the respective country of responsibility and (2) assess specific challenges and opportunities relating to potential financing by the People's Republic of China for procurement and infrastructure projects to meet such needs. The Under Secretary must submit an annual report summarizing these submissions to appropriate Department of State bureau heads and other federal instrumentalities, including the United States International Development Finance Corporation.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the United States International Development Finance Corporation should prioritize financing to increase port and airfield capacity in countries that (1) meet the investment criteria in title II of the BUILD Act of 2018 and (2) are targets of the People's Republic of China's Belt and Road Initiative.