S. 777 — Strategic Ports Reporting Act

This section directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, to (1) develop an updated global mapping of foreign and domestic ports important to the United States for military, diplomatic, economic, or resource exploration superiority and (2) identify efforts by the People's Republic of China (PRC) or PRC entities to build, buy, or control such ports; and to submit the mapping in unclassified form, with a possible classified annex, to the appropriate congressional committees.

This section requires the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, to conduct a study of strategic ports, including (1) U.S. interests in such ports; (2) activities and plans of the People's Republic of China (PRC) government to expand control over strategic ports outside China and over maritime logistics via products such as LOGINK and industry standards; (3) public and private actors executing those PRC activities, such as China Ocean Shipping Company; (4) potential harms to U.S. and allies' national security and economic interests; and (5) U.S. measures to ensure open access, security, and alternatives to PRC investments or stakes in such ports. The Secretaries may arrange for a federally funded research and development center to conduct the study. Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries must submit to the appropriate congressional committees an unclassified report (with a possible classified annex) on the study's findings that includes (1) lists and national security and economic assessments of PRC-operated, controlled, or owned strategic ports and of U.S.-operated, controlled, or owned strategic ports; (2) assessments of vulnerabilities for U.S. ports and strategic ports generally; (3) analyses of PRC activities and plans to gain control over strategic ports; (4) suggested strategies, developed with relevant U.S. government offices, to secure trusted investment and ownership of strategic ports and maritime infrastructure, protect them from PRC control, and ensure open access and security—including relevant existing authorities, any additional needed authorities, assessments of PRC products used at such ports, costs to secure investment and ownership and replace PRC products and to enhance transparency, and public and private funding sources such as loans, loan guarantees, and tax incentives; (5) a suggested strategy for federal agencies to maintain an up-to-date list of strategic ports; and (6) an assessment of national security threats to U.S. diplomatic and defense personnel and facilities near such ports, including cyber threats and electronically enabled espionage.

This section defines, for purposes of the Act, three terms: (1) "appropriate congressional committees," meaning specified House and Senate committees on transportation and infrastructure, energy and commerce, armed services, foreign affairs or relations, and intelligence; (2) "relevant United States Government offices," meaning the Unified Combatant Commands, Offices of the Secretaries of Defense and State, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and Maritime Administration; and (3) "strategic port," meaning an international port or waterway determined by heads of such offices to be critical to U.S. national security or economic prosperity.