S. 1731: Combating PRC Overseas and Unlawful Networked Threats through Enhanced Resilience Act of 2025

This bill, titled the **Combating PRC Overseas and Unlawful Networked Threats through Enhanced Resilience Act of 2025**, proposes several actions designed to respond to the military expansion efforts of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The key provisions of the bill include:

Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to require the U.S. Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense to develop a comprehensive strategy addressing the global basing initiatives of the PRC. This response is driven by concerns regarding the PRC's military logistics capabilities and their potential disruptions to U.S. military operations.

Findings

The bill outlines several findings, indicating that:

• The PRC is actively expanding its military bases and logistics to project its military capabilities beyond its borders.
• This expansion, including efforts in countries like Djibouti and Cambodia, poses a risk to U.S. and allied military operations.
• Access to additional military facilities in various countries is probable, impacting U.S. strategic interests.

Strategies and Recommendations

The bill emphasizes that U.S. efforts to counter the PRC's global expansion must be:

• Urgent, to ensure timely responses to the PRC's strategy.
• Coordinated across different U.S. government agencies for a unified approach.
• Proactive rather than reactive, to allow for strategic planning and decision-making.
• Comprehensive, identifying effective actions to discourage foreign governments from allowing PRC military access.

Reports and Assessments

The bill mandates several key assessments and reports:

• Within 180 days of enactment, the Director of National Intelligence must provide a classified assessment of the risks associated with PRC global basing.
• The strategy, to be submitted by the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense, will identify at least five critical locations of concern regarding PRC military presence.
• It will also address current U.S. efforts to mitigate risks associated with these locations and suggest actions for the U.S. or its allies to persuade foreign nations against hosting PRC bases.

Interagency Task Force

A task force will be established within 90 days of the strategy submission to implement the strategy concerning the identified locations of concern and to find measures to prevent PRC base establishment elsewhere.

Ongoing Review

The bill requires a review of the overall U.S. strategy in response to PRC global basing every four years to ensure that the approach remains effective and relevant.

Definitions

Key terms defined in the bill include:

• PRC: People's Republic of China.
• PLA: People's Liberation Army, the military of the PRC.
• PRC Global Basing: Locations outside China where the PRC maintains military or intelligence presence to project power.

Relevant Companies

• BA (Boeing): As a major defense contractor, changes in U.S. military strategies and basing could affect government contracts and defense spending.
• RTX (Raytheon Technologies): Similar to Boeing, Raytheon could be impacted by shifts in defense policy and military readiness initiatives.
• NOC (Northrop Grumman): May see effects related to national defense strategies and contracts stemming from changes in geopolitical dynamics.