What does Preamble of South China Sea Strategy Act of 2026 do?

This bill is formally titled 'A bill to require a South China Sea diplomatic engagement strategy, and for other purposes.'

What does SHORT TITLE. of South China Sea Strategy Act of 2026 do?

This bill is formally titled the South China Sea Strategy Act of 2026.

What does UNITED STATES POLICY. of South China Sea Strategy Act of 2026 do?

This section establishes United States policy regarding the South China Sea. The policy supports freedom of navigation, overflight, and unfettered commerce in the South China Sea, consistent with international law. The United States is committed to resolving maritime disputes through a rules-based approach. The policy aims to counter efforts by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to unilaterally change the status quo in the South China Sea. The United States intends to engage with allies and partners to support a consistent approach to diplomatic engagement in the region, including ensuring the safety of U.S. citizens.

What does SOUTH CHINA SEA DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY. of South China Sea Strategy Act of 2026 do?

This section requires the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, to submit a South China Sea Diplomatic Engagement Strategy to Congress within 180 days of the Act's enactment. The strategy must outline overarching goals for U.S. engagement with littoral states, allies, and partners regarding security, diplomatic, legal, and economic matters in the South China Sea. The strategy must designate an office responsible for coordinating the execution of these goals. It requires an analysis of existing State Department mechanisms and identifies gaps in engagement. The strategy must detail plans to deepen bilateral engagement with littoral states and increase the frequency of collective engagements. Collective engagements should focus on themes like bolstering defense capabilities, reinforcing maritime law enforcement, responding to grey-zone tactics, managing territorial disputes, preparing crisis management mechanisms, building resilience to foreign influence, and supporting economic development. The strategy must detail plans for interagency and foreign government coordination to address crisis management scenarios short of war. The strategy is to be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex.

What does STRATEGY EXECUTION. of South China Sea Strategy Act of 2026 do?

This section outlines the execution of the Strategy for Diplomatic Engagement on the South China Sea. The Secretary of State must identify and submit necessary programs, policies, or budgetary resources to congressional committees within 360 days of the Act's enactment. These resources are intended to support the Strategy for fiscal years 2027, 2028, and 2029. The Secretary of State must brief the appropriate congressional committees on the Strategy's implementation within 30 days of submitting the assessment.

What does DEFINITIONS. of South China Sea Strategy Act of 2026 do?

This section defines terms used within the Act. “Appropriate congressional committees” are defined as the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. “Littoral states” are defined as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

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South China Sea Strategy Act of 2026

Last updated: 6/17/2026 · Introduced: 5/20/2026

Author: Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)

TL;DR (AI)

This bill establishes U.S. policy supporting freedom of navigation and a rules-based approach to resolving maritime disputes in the South China Sea, while countering unilateral actions by the People's Republic of China.
The bill mandates the development of a South China Sea Diplomatic Engagement Strategy, outlining goals for U.S. engagement with regional partners and detailing plans for increased diplomatic and security cooperation.
The bill requires the Secretary of State to identify and submit necessary resources to Congress to support the implementation of the South China Sea Diplomatic Engagement Strategy over three fiscal years.

119th Congressin committeeOfficial page

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Other Sections

Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 4 more.

6 sections

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