Krishnamoorthi, LaHood Introduce Bipartisan COUNTER Act to Confront China’s Global Basing Ambitions

July 16, 2025
Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), along with Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL), introduced the Combating PRC Overseas and Unlawful Networked Threats through Enhanced Resilience (COUNTER) Act of 2025. This bipartisan legislation requires the U.S. government to develop and execute a comprehensive strategy to counter the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) growing overseas military basing network, which represents a direct threat to U.S. national security and global stability.

In recent years, the PRC has expanded its global military footprint, opening and operating military facilities in Djibouti and Cambodia while aggressively pursuing additional basing rights in strategic locations around the world. This growing network of bases enables the Chinese military to project power at greater distances, surveil and disrupt U.S. operations, and undermine American influence in key regions.

“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.”

“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 COUNTER Act of 2025 requires:

  • The Director of National Intelligence to conduct a full assessment of the risks posed by PRC global basing to U.S. and allied power projection and freedom of movement.
  • The Secretaries of State and Defense to identify at least five priority locations of concern where the PRC is attempting to establish bases, assess U.S. activities to counter those efforts, and develop a strategy to counter the PRC’s global basing plans broadly.
  • The creation of an interagency task force to implement this strategy and proactively prevent the PRC from establishing new bases, including through joint responses with U.S. allies.
  • Regular quadrennial reviews and updates to ensure the U.S. response remains aligned with the evolving threat.

The bill also recognizes the need to consult not only with foreign governments but also with civil society groups in partner countries – acknowledging that robust, long-term partnerships with local populations are critical to countering Beijing’s influence.

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