Sense of Congress

While the executive branch has undertaken case-by-case efforts to forestall the establishment of new PRC permanent military presence in several countries, it is the sense of Congress that future efforts to counter the PRC's global basing intentions must— (1) proceed with the urgency required to address the strategic implications of the PRC’s actions; (2) reflect sufficient interagency coordination with respect to a problem that necessitates a whole-of-government approach; (3) ensure that the United States Government maintains a proactive posture rather than a reactive posture in order to maximize strategic decision space; (4) identify a comprehensive menu of actions that would be influential in shaping a partner’s decision making regarding giving the PRC military access to its sovereign territory; (5) appropriately prioritize the subject of the PRC's global basing intentions within the context of the overall United States strategic competition with the PRC; (6) consider how the PRC uses commercial and scientific cooperation as a guise for establishing access for the PLA and other PRC security forces in foreign countries; (7) factor in the potential contributions of key allies and partners to help respond to the PRC's pursuit of global basing, many of which— (A) have historic ties and influence in many of the geographic areas the PRC is targeting for potential future bases; and (B) rely on the same basic intelligence picture to form our baseline understanding of the PRC’s global intentions; (8) establish and ensure sufficient resourcing for enduring organizational structures and security and foreign assistance and cooperation efforts to effectively address the issue of PRC global basing intentions; and (9) ensure that future force posture, freedom of movement, and other interests of the United States and our allies are not jeopardized by the continued expansion of PRC bases.