[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 132 (Thursday, July 31, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S5114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3361. Mr. RICKETTS (for himself and Mr. Bennet) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2296, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place in title XII, insert the
following:
SEC. 12___. ASSESSMENT OF AND STRATEGY TO COMBAT ARMS SALES
OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
(a) Assessment of Chinese Arms Sales.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 3
years, the Director of National Intelligence, in coordination
with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State,
shall publish in the annual China military power report
required by section 1202 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 (Public Law 106-65),
or other relevant publication, an assessment of arms sales
facilitated by entities in the People's Republic of China.
(2) Contents.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include an analysis of--
(A) the weapons systems and military equipment originating
from the People's Republic of China available for purchase by
foreign countries;
(B) the technical aspects and capabilities of such weapons
systems and military equipment;
(C) how such weapons systems and military equipment may
impact the balance of power in the area of responsibility of
each geographic combatant command, when applicable;
(D) the weapons systems and military equipment originating
from the People's Republic of China that are considered
direct alternatives to weapons systems and military equipment
originating from the United States;
(E) the weapons systems and military equipment originating
from the People's Republic of China that present the greatest
security risks regarding the potential to collect
intelligence on or compromise assets, weapons, or platforms
of the United States;
(F) the countries mostly likely to procure weapons systems
and military equipment originating from the People's Republic
of China, including the specific type, quantity, and
estimated value in United States dollars of weapons, during
the 1-year period following the date of the submission of the
report;
(G) the weapons systems and military equipment in
development as of the date of the submission of the report by
entities in the People's Republic of China that could be
available on the global market not later than 5 years after
such date;
(H) the factors that incentivize countries to procure such
weapons systems and military equipment, including costs,
flexible payment conditions and financing, a lack of end-user
agreements, and speed of sale and delivery; and
(I) the strategy of the People's Republic of China
regarding arms sales and variables that could influence such
strategy.
(3) Form.--
(A) In general.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
be submitted in unclassified form, but shall include a
classified annex.
(B) Classified annex.--The classified annex required by
subparagraph (A) shall contain--
(i) an assessment by the National Intelligence Council of
the contents required by paragraph (2); and
(ii) an assessment by the Director of National Intelligence
of the counterintelligence risks and risks of onward
proliferation of technology and defense systems originating
in the United States and created through the purchase,
deployment, and use of weapons systems and military equipment
originating from the People's Republic of China by United
States allies and partners.
(4) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Foreign Relations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence
of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence of the House of Representatives.
(b) Strategy to Combat Arms Sales of the People's Republic
of China.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall develop a
strategy to dissuade purchases of new weapons systems and
military equipment, excluding spare parts or parts for
maintenance of previously procured weapons, originating from
the People's Republic of China.
(2) Elements.--The strategy shall include the following
elements:
(A) An information campaign targeting countries interested
in procuring weapons systems and military equipment
originating from the People's Republic of China to warn such
countries about--
(i) potential risks, including the lack of a proven track
record in combat, insufficient training on the operation of
the weapon or weapons system, reliability issues, and the
lack of maintenance and spare parts available;
(ii) the inability to integrate such weapons systems and
military equipment with weapons systems and military
equipment from the United States; and
(iii) the potential limitation of future security
cooperation with the United States that could arise if such
weapons are acquired.
(B) A description of actions the United States Government
and the defense industrial base can take, including reforms
to the foreign military sales, direct commercial sales, and
foreign military financing processes, to make weapons systems
and military equipment from the United States more attractive
to prospective buyers of weapons systems or military
equipment originating from the People's Republic of China.
(C) A description of actions defense firms of the United
States can take to provide competitive alternatives to
prospective buyers of weapons systems and military equipment
originating from the People's Republic of China.
(D) An analysis of whether the use of sanctions, export
controls, or other economic restrictions targeting buyers of
new weapons systems or military equipment originating from
the People's Republic of China could serve as an effective
deterrent.
(E) A plan to combat Chinese disinformation campaigns
targeting the performance of weapons or platforms produced by
the United States or trusted allies.
(F) A plan to ensure close coordination with Congress to
prevent disjointed engagement with countries.
(3) Report and implementation plan.--Not later than the
date on which the strategy required by paragraph (1) is
completed, the Secretary of State shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report detailing the
strategy and a plan for implementation.
(4) Form.--The report required by paragraph (3) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
(5) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
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