DICTATOR Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.6954 | Sponsor: Rep. Kim, Young (R-CA)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Direct Investigations on China, Take Action To Oppose Russia Act of 2022 or the DICTATOR Act of 2022
This bill requires the Department of State to report to Congress on entities in China that assist or have assisted Russia's efforts to evade sanctions imposed by the United States following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The bill also requires the relevant federal agencies to brief Congress on U.S. efforts to (1) identify and sanction such entities, and (2) economically isolate Russia from outside support and economic assistance from China.

To direct the Secretary of State to provide to Congress a briefing and 
 report on the support of the People's Republic of China for Russia's 
              invasion of Ukraine, 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 ``Direct Investigations on China, Take 
Action To Oppose Russia Act of 2022'' or the ``DICTATOR Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The People's Republic of China (in this section 
        referred to as the ``PRC'') and the Russian Federation have, in 
        recent years, forged a closer relationship, based largely on 
        their shared interest in challenging the rules-based 
        international order, in an attempt to reshape that order into 
        one that is more welcoming to their authoritarian systems of 
        government.
            (2) On February 4, 2022, the PRC and Russian Federation 
        issued a Joint Statement on the International Relations 
        Entering a New Era and the Global Sustainable Development, 
        which stated that ``friendship between the two States has no 
        limits'' and that ``there are no forbidden areas of 
        cooperation''.
            (3) In their Joint Statement, the PRC and the Russian 
        Federation reaffirmed support for state sovereignty and 
        territorial integrity and called on all countries to protect 
        international law.
            (4) Per media reporting, leading up to Russia's unprovoked 
        invasion of Ukraine, United States officials held multiple 
        meetings with PRC officials presenting intelligence showing 
        Russian troop buildup around Ukraine and requested Chinese 
        assistance in urging the Russian Federation not to attack 
        Ukraine.
            (5) A March 2, 2022, New York Times article reported that 
        senior Chinese officials told senior Russian officials in early 
        February 2022 not to invade Ukraine before the end of the 
        Winter Olympics in Beijing.
            (6) The New York Times reported that PRC officials later 
        shared United States intelligence with Russia and stated that 
        the United States ``was trying to sow discord and that China 
        would not try to impede Russian plans and actions''.
            (7) On February 21, 2022, President Vladimir Putin of the 
        Russian Federation declared unilateral recognition of the 
        Donetsk and Luhansk separatist regions of Ukraine and ordered 
        Russian troops to enter those regions in a further invasion of 
        Ukraine to carry out ``peacekeeping functions''.
            (8) On February 24, 2022, Russian forces launched an 
        unprovoked large-scale further invasion of Ukraine with the 
        goal of taking over major cities, including the capital city of 
        Kyiv, by military force.
            (9) The PRC's Foreign Ministry spokesperson refused to 
        categorize Russia's attacks as an ``invasion'' and referred 
        repeatedly to the Russian Federation's statements on Ukraine.
            (10) On February 24, 2022, the PRC announced it would lift 
        restrictions on wheat imports from Russia to ease the impact of 
        sanctions on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
            (11) Russian forces are reported to have targeted civilian 
        population centers and launched attacks without regard for 
        civilian casualties, some of which may constitute war crimes.
            (12) On March 2, 2022, the Chief Prosecutor of the 
        International Criminal Court announced an investigation into 
        possible war crimes committed in Ukraine after a referral by 39 
        member states.
            (13) On March 2, 2022, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi 
        recognized the conflict in Ukraine as a ``war'' and expressed 
        that China was ``extremely concerned'' about the harm to 
        civilians in Ukraine.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Government and entities associated with People's 
        Republic of China who assist the Russian Federation or Russian 
        oligarchs in evading sanctions imposed following the Russian 
        invasion of Ukraine are, in so doing, supporting the Russian 
        Federation's unprovoked attack on Ukraine and the Ukrainian 
        people, including alleged war crimes committed by Russian Armed 
        Forces against unarmed civilians; and
            (2) the President should impose sanctions on those entities 
        found to have aided the Russian Federation or Russian oligarchs 
        in evading sanctions imposed by the United States and allied 
        nations following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON PRC SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA'S INVASION OF UKRAINE.

    (a) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on entities in the People's 
Republic of China that have assisted, or continue to assist, the 
Russian Federation in evading sanctions imposed by the United States 
following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
    (b) Contents of Report.--The report under subsection (a) shall 
include each of the following:
            (1) An assessment of the actions the Government of the 
        People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party may 
        have taken to assist the Russian Federation in evading 
        sanctions imposed by the United States following the further 
        invasion of Ukraine.
            (2) An assessment of the extent to which entities 
        affiliated with the People's Republic of China and the Chinese 
        Communist Party may have assisted the Russian Federation in 
        evading sanctions imposed by the United States following the 
        further invasion of Ukraine.
            (3) A list of the entities referred to in paragraph (2).
            (4) An assessment of the actions the Department of State 
        and other relevant departments have taken to address the 
        actions described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
            (5) An account of the changes and improvements the 
        Secretary of State plans to make to the United States strategy 
        to confront Russian aggression in Ukraine by economically 
        isolating the Russian Federation from outside support and 
        economic assistance from the People's Republic of China.
    (c) Form of Report.--The report required by this section shall be 
submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex.

SEC. 5. BRIEFINGS TO CONGRESS ON PRC SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA'S INVASION OF 
              UKRAINE.

    (a) Initial Briefing.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, senior officials from the Department of State, 
the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and other relevant 
Federal departments shall provide to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations 
of the Senate a briefing on efforts being taken by the United States to 
identify and sanction entities in the People's Republic of China found 
to have assisted the Russian Federation in evading sanctions imposed by 
the United States following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
    (b) Post-Report Briefing.--Not later than 30 days after the 
submission of the report required under section 4, senior officials 
from the Department of State, the Office of the Director of National 
Intelligence, and other relevant Federal departments shall provide to 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a briefing on the 
contents of the report and steps being taken by the United States 
Government to pursue a strategy to confront Russian aggression in 
Ukraine by economically isolating the Russian Federation from outside 
support and economic assistance from the People's Republic of China.
    (c) Form of Briefing.--A briefing under subsection (a) or (b)--
            (1) shall be provided in an unclassified setting; and
            (2) may be accompanied by a separate classified briefing, 
        as appropriate.
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