H.R. 5329

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

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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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