Why It Matters

The South China Sea Strategy Act would require the State Department to develop a formal U.S. diplomatic strategy for the South China Sea as Washington seeks to counter China's efforts to expand its control over the disputed region.

S.4600, the South China Sea Strategy Act of 2026, would require the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, to submit the strategy to Congress within 180 days of enactment. The strategy would establish U.S. goals for engagement with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as allies and partners, on security, diplomatic, legal and economic issues.

The strategy would include plans for deeper bilateral engagement with the five South China Sea littoral states and increased collective engagement on defense capabilities, maritime law enforcement, illegal fishing, territorial disputes, crisis management, foreign influence and economic coercion. It would also require coordination with other federal agencies and foreign governments to manage crises below the threshold of armed conflict.

The bill establishes U.S. policy supporting freedom of navigation, overflight, and commerce consistent with international law; a rules-based approach to maritime disputes; and efforts to counter attempts by the People's Republic of China to unilaterally change the status quo in the South China Sea.

The measure also explicitly states that it would not change existing U.S. policy toward Taiwan and China under the One China Policy, as guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China joint communiques and the Six Assurances.

The Big Picture

The bill was introduced in the Senate on May 20 by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), with Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) as its original cosponsor, and referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The committee favorably reported it with an amendment in the nature of a substitute during a June 17 business meeting.

The committee formally reported the amended bill on July 27 without a written report. It was then placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders as Calendar No. 512, positioning it for potential Senate floor consideration.

The measure fits within the broader U.S.-China competition over maritime power and international law in the South China Sea. Its policy provisions call for preserving freedom of navigation, overflight, and commerce; resolving maritime disputes through a rules-based approach; and coordinating U.S. diplomacy with allies and regional partners.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that implementing S.4600 would cost less than $500,000 through fiscal 2031, with any spending subject to appropriations. The bill does not provide direct funding for implementing the strategy.

Partisan Perspectives

Sponsorship is bipartisan, with Duckworth as the Democratic sponsor and Curtis as the Republican original cosponsor. The two-senator partnership gives the legislation support from both parties, although Curtis remains its only cosponsor. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced the measure with an amendment in the nature of a substitute at its June 17 business meeting, which included a broader package of foreign-policy legislation.

The Bottom Line

Within 360 days of enactment, the Secretary of State would be required to identify the programs, policies and budgetary resources necessary to implement the strategy for fiscal years 2027 through 2029. The department would then have to brief the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees on implementation within 30 days of that submission.

The bill would therefore set two principal deadlines: 180 days for the South China Sea diplomatic strategy and 360 days to identify the resources needed to carry it out. S.4600 has cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and been placed on the Senate calendar but has not passed the Senate or House.

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