I 
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 con-
sular posts abroad address its malign influence and ac-
tivities, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives 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’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Department of State started the Re-
gional 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 pat-
terns 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; 
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(2) the RCO program is a key asset for the De-
partment of State in the context of strategic com-
petition with China at the global, regional, and sub-
regional levels; and 
(3) the United States must continue to counter 
PRC activities that seek to coerce other countries, 
distort markets, and undermine United States inter-
ests. 
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 Pro-
gram 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 diplo-
matic 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 
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commercial, development, finance, critical infra-
structure, technology, and military domains, in-
cluding projects associated with the PRC’s Belt 
and Road Initiative, Global Security Initiative, 
and Global Development Initiative; and 
(B) advising United States embassy per-
sonnel, 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 establish-
ment 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 ac-
tivities of RCOs in order to— 
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(A) improve United States responsiveness 
to activities, strategies and tactics of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China (PRC); 
(B) ensure that RCO program activities in-
crease the knowledge, understanding, and trust 
of the United States by relevant target audi-
ences; 
(C) identify gaps in United States engage-
ments 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 Pro-
gram Unit, there shall be no fewer than 2 Regional 
China Officers assigned to United States diplomatic 
posts associated with each of the following bu-
reaus— 
(A) Bureau of African Affairs; 
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(B) Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Af-
fairs; 
(C) Bureau of European and Eurasian Af-
fairs; 
(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 Af-
fairs. 
(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 au-
thorized 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 
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and public diplomacy activities of the Regional 
China Officer Program. 
(3) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated pur-
suant 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 Influ-
ence Fund. 
(f) SUNSET.—The requirement to maintain the Re-
gional 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). 
Æ 
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