[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6954 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6954
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 7, 2022
Mrs. Kim of California (for herself, Ms. Slotkin, Mr. Weber of Texas,
Mr. Owens, Mr. Huizenga, Mr. Ellzey, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Garbarino, Mr.
Gooden of Texas, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Mr. Katko, Mr. Fallon, Mr. Diaz-
Balart, Mrs. Bice of Oklahoma, and Mr. Mann) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in
addition to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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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