Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§6981 Establishment of technical assistance and rule of law programs

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 77— - UNITED STATES-CHINA RELATIONS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - TRADE AND RULE OF LAW ISSUES IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA › Part Part B— - Assistance To Develop Commercial and Labor Rule of Law › § 6981

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Three U.S. officials can set up programs that give rule-of-law training and technical help about the People’s Republic of China. The Secretary of Commerce, with advice from the Secretary of State, may run programs about commercial and business law in China. The Secretary of Labor, with advice from the Secretary of State, may run programs about protecting internationally recognized worker rights in China. Labor must focus on things like making laws and rules, building ways to enforce labor laws, training officials who enforce them, and teaching workers their legal rights. Labor may not help the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. The Secretary of State may run programs to help develop China’s legal system and civil society. These programs can fund seminars and workshops, drafting commercial and labor codes, legal training, publications, support for nongovernmental groups’ operating costs, and travel to the United States or to China for training.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §6981

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is authorized to establish a program to conduct rule of law training and technical assistance related to commercial activities in the People’s Republic of China.

(b)(1)The Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is authorized to establish a program to conduct rule of law training and technical assistance related to the protection of internationally recognized worker rights in the People’s Republic of China.

(2)In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary of Labor shall focus on activities including, but not limited to—

(A)developing,11 So in original. Comma probably should not appear. laws, regulations, and other measures to implement internationally recognized worker rights;

(B)establishing national mechanisms for the enforcement of national labor laws and regulations;

(C)training government officials concerned with implementation and enforcement of national labor laws and regulations; and

(D)developing an educational infrastructure to educate workers about their legal rights and protections under national labor laws and regulations.

(3)The Secretary of Labor may not provide assistance under the program established under this subsection to the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

(c)The Secretary of State is authorized to establish a program to conduct rule of law training and technical assistance related to development of the legal system and civil society generally in the People’s Republic of China.

(d)The programs authorized by this section may be used to conduct activities such as seminars and workshops, drafting of commercial and labor codes, legal training, publications, financing the operating costs for nongovernmental organizations working in this area, and funding the travel of individuals to the United States and to the People’s Republic of China to provide and receive training.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 6981

Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73