Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) – a member of the Select Committee on China – joined Select Committee on China Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) in introducing the Combating PRC Overseas and Unlawful Networked Threats through Enhanced Resilience (COUNTER) Act of 2025. This bipartisan legislation requires the United States government to develop and execute a comprehensive strategy to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) growing military basing network.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s pursuit of expanding overseas military bases threatens the United States’ national security and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” said Rep. LaHood. “It is critical that we have a clearly defined and coordinated strategy to combat the CCP’s goal of expanding strategic military bases overseas to project power and increase its global influence. The bipartisan COUNTER Act will help ensure that we have the necessary resources to counter the CCP’s global basing activities and protect our interests and those throughout the region.”
“The Chinese Communist Party is quietly building a network of overseas military bases that threatens our ability to defend our allies, secure vital trade routes, and maintain American influence globally,” said Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi. “We cannot afford to be caught flat-footed. The COUNTER Act demands a coordinated, whole-of-government response to stop Beijing’s basing ambitions before they irreversibly harm U.S. interests.”
Background:
In recent years, the CCP has expanded its global military footprint, opening and operating military facilities in the Indo-Pacific. This growing network of bases enables to CCP’s military to surveil and disrupt U.S. operations while undermining American influence in the region.
The COUNTER ACT of 2025 requires:
- The Director of National Intelligence to conduct a full assessment of the risks posed by the CCP’s global basing to U.S. and our allies’ power projection and freedom of movement;
- The Secretaries of State and Defense to identify at least five priority locations of concern where the CCP is attempting to establish bases, assess U.S. activities to counter those efforts, and develop a strategy to counter the CCP’s global basing plans;
- The creation of an interagency task force to implement this strategy and proactively prevent the CCP from establishing new bases, including through joint response with U.S. allies; and
- Regular reviews and updates to ensure the U.S. response remains aligned with the evolving threat.
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