S 1011119th CongressIn Committee

Belt and Road Oversight Act

Introduced: Mar 12, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Belt and Road Oversight Act would create a new role within the U.S. State Department called the Country China Officer at each embassy in countries with which the United States has diplomatic relations. These officers would monitor and report on China’s activities in their country, with a focus on Chinese investments in critical infrastructure and Belt and Road Initiative projects. The bill imposes a 10-year sunset, after which the designation would end unless renewed. It also requires a comprehensive, nationwide review of assets, debt, and projects funded or controlled by the PRC, including Belt and Road projects, and mandates annual reporting to Congress. In addition, the Act directs country-specific counter-Chinese influence strategies, procurement/projection reporting, and a sense-of-Congress provision urging the U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to prioritize alternative financing for eligible countries that are targets of the Belt and Road Initiative. The overall aim is to increase transparency around PRC financing abroad and to bolster U.S. counter-efforts to PRC influence.

Key Points

1Establishment and duties of Country China Officers: The Secretary of State must have one Foreign Service Officer in each U.S. embassy or post in every country with whom the U.S. has diplomatic relations, designated within 60 days of enactment; officers monitor and report on PRC activity, including capital investments in critical infrastructure and Belt and Road projects; the designation is set to sunset 10 years after enactment.
2Comprehensive cross-country review and reporting (Section 3): Within 60 days, embassies, via the Country China Officers, must prepare reports detailing assets controlled or financed by the PRC or PRC state-owned enterprises. Reports must cover debt obligations to China, a list of projects financed by PRC banks, sovereign wealth funds, and other PRC-controlled financiers (including policy banks like CDB and ExIm, major state banks, sovereign wealth funds, and international institutions such as AIIB and NDB), identify Belt and Road projects, assess debt sustainability, list collateral, identify PRC-owned assets (telecom and critical infrastructure), and note research institutions controlled or financed by the PRC. Initial country reports due within one year; the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs distributes a consolidated report to multiple federal lawmakers and committees.
3Notification of future BRI projects (Section 4): After the initial reports, embassies must inform the Under Secretary of State within 30 days of becoming aware of any upcoming BRI-like project identified in the reports.
4Annual comprehensive reporting (Section 5): For a 10-year period, the Under Secretary must submit an annual report to Congress containing all findings from Country China Officers regarding PRC-financed or controlled projects, plus updated analyses on debt, collateral, and related findings.
5Annual counter-influence strategy (Section 6): Each Country China Officer, in consultation with the local Chief of Mission, must develop a country-specific strategy to counter PRC influence and anti-American messaging. The strategy should be used to equip diplomatic staff with tools to counter PRC influence. Chiefs of Mission must submit annual implementation reports, including challenges and opportunities; the Under Secretary must summarize these for relevant State Department bureaus. Countries with limited PRC investment are excluded from this strategy.
6Procurement projections (Section 7): Each embassy must annually report procurement and infrastructure needs in their country and assess opportunities and challenges related to PRC financing for those needs; the Under Secretary will summarize these for appropriate bureaus and federal entities, including the DFC.
7DFC emphasis (Section 8): Congress expresses that the U.S. should prioritize alternative financing options through the DFC for eligible countries to offset PRC influence, focusing on infrastructure capacity that could serve as an alternative to Belt and Road investments.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- U.S. State Department and its embassies worldwide (Country China Officers and China Desk)- U.S. foreign policy coordination and reporting mechanisms (Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs)- U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and related financial policymaking- Congressional committees (Senate: Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Intelligence, Finance; House: Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Intelligence, Ways and Means)Secondary group/area affected- Host-country governments and public sectors hosting Belt and Road projects- State-owned banks and other PRC-backed financial institutions identified in the Act- Private sector entities involved in PRC-financed infrastructure abroadAdditional impacts- Increased transparency and public reporting on PRC overseas financing and Belt and Road-related risks- Potentially greater diplomatic pressure and scrutiny on new PRC-funded projects abroad- Administrative and data-collection burdens on embassies and State Department components- Possible influence on international development finance decisions and competition with PRC-financed projects- A structured mechanism for the U.S. to shape countermeasures against PRC influence, including messaging and strategic engagementsBelt and Road Initiative (BRI): China’s large, multi-country program financing and building infrastructure like roads, ports, railways, and energy projects.Policy banks: Chinese state-owned banks designed to implement government policy, not just ordinary commercial lending.State-owned enterprises (SOEs): Companies owned by the Chinese government.U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC): The U.S. government’s development-finance institution that provides financing for development projects abroad.“Country China Officer”: A designated Foreign Service Officer in each U.S. embassy tasked with monitoring Chinese activity and financing in that country.

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