I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7484 

To direct the Director of National Intelligence to submit to Congress a 

report on efforts by the People’s Republic of China to exploit the 

COVID–19 pandemic to advance the national security and foreign policy 

interests of China. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 2, 2020 

Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma (for herself, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, 

Mr. ROSE of New York, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. CASE, Mr. MCADAMS, 

Mr. CORREA, Mr. GOLDEN, Mr. BRINDISI, Mr. CRIST, and Mr. 

CUNNINGHAM) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 

A BILL 

To direct the Director of National Intelligence to submit 

to Congress a report on efforts by the People’s Republic 

of China to exploit the COVID–19 pandemic to advance 

the national security and foreign policy interests of 

China. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing China from 

5 Exploiting COVID–19 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REPORT ON EFFORTS BY CHINA TO EXPLOIT 

2 COVID–19 PANDEMIC TO ADVANCE NATIONAL 

3 SECURITY AND FOREIGN POLICY INTERESTS 

4 OF CHINA. 

5 (a) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

6 of the enactment of this Act, the Director of National In7 telligence, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the 

8 Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Se9 curity, shall submit to the appropriate congressional com10 mittees, and make publicly available on the internet 

11 website of the Director, a report on efforts by the People’s 

12 Republic of China to exploit the COVID–19 pandemic to 

13 advance the national security and foreign policy interests 

14 of China in ways that undermine the interests of the 

15 United States, allies and partners of the United States, 

16 and the rules-based international order. 

17 (b) ELEMENTS.—The report under subsection (a) 

18 shall include the following: 

19 (1) An assessment of— 

20 (A) the tactics and techniques used by 

21 China to obstruct or retaliate against countries, 

22 such as Australia, that have sought a full and 

23 fair inquiry into the role of China in the emer24 gence and spread of COVID–19; and 

25 (B) the motivations of China for under26 taking such obstruction or retaliation. 


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1 (2) A description of activities undertaken by 

2 China, including with respect to cyber-theft, in3 tended to licitly or illicitly acquire information and 

4 intellectual property in the possession of non-Chi5 nese governments and businesses relating to 

6 COVID–19 testing, treatment, and vaccines. 

7 (3) An assessment of whether the activities de8 scribed under paragraph (2) violate the commitment 

9 of China under the cybersecurity agreement entered 

10 into by China and the United States in 2015 to re11 frain from conducting or supporting cyber-enabled 

12 economic espionage. 

13 (4) An assessment of the manner by which 

14 China seeks to advance the foreign policy interests 

15 of China by providing economic aid or medical 

16 equipment to countries adversely affected by 

17 COVID–19 and a discussion of the degree to which 

18 such aid renders recipient countries more likely to 

19 adopt positions favorable to the interests of China or 

20 detrimental to the interests of the United States. 

21 (5) An assessment of— 

22 (A) the effects of the pledged economic 

23 support by China to international organizations, 

24 such as the World Health Organization; and 


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1 (B) whether, and in what manner, China 

2 uses such support to induce such organizations 

3 to take actions favorable to the interests of 

4 China or detrimental to the interests of the 

5 United States. 

6 (6) An identification of the different ways in 

7 which China is using, or may be planning to use, the 

8 global disruption and distraction associated with the 

9 COVID–19 pandemic as an opportunity to more ag10 gressively pursue longstanding domestic and foreign 

11 policy objectives, including the objectives of China 

12 with respect to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Xinjiang, and 

13 territorial disputes. 

14 (7) An assessment of— 

15 (A) the means and methods by which 

16 China disseminates misinformation, whether 

17 overtly or covertly, about COVID–19, including 

18 on United States-based social media platforms 

19 or through other English language-based media; 

20 and 

21 (B) the motivations of China for dissemi22 nating such misinformation and a description of 

23 how the departments and agencies of the Fed24 eral Government are collaborating to track, 

25 analyze, and respond to such dissemination. 


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1 (8) An overarching assessment of— 

2 (A) how the activities of China described in 

3 this subsection collectively further the national 

4 interests of China; and 

5 (B) the extent to which such activities con6 stitute a continuation of the longstanding prac7 tices of China or are an evolution of the foreign 

8 policy behavior of China. 

9 (c) FORM.—The report under subsection (a) shall be 

10 submitted in unclassified form without any designation re11 lating to dissemination control, but the report submitted 

12 to the appropriate congressional committees may include 

13 a classified annex. 

14 (d) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES

15 DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate con16 gressional committees’’ means the following: 

17 (1) the Committee on Appropriations, the Com18 mittee on Armed Services, the Committee on For19 eign Affairs, the Committee on Homeland Security, 

20 and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 

21 of the House of Representatives; and 

22 (6) the Committee on Appropriations, the Com23 mittee on Armed Services, the Committee on For24 eign Relations, the Committee on Homeland SecuVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Jul 26, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7484.IH H7484

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1 rity and Governmental Affairs, and the Select Com2 mittee on Intelligence of the Senate. 

Æ 


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