Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-110

§6981 Establishment of Technical Assistance and Rule of Law Programs

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

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Commerce can set up a program, with advice from the Secretary of State, to give rule-of-law training and technical help about business and commercial matters in the People’s Republic of China. The Secretary of Labor can set up a separate program, also with the Secretary of State’s input, to provide rule-of-law training and help about internationally recognized worker rights in China. Labor’s work must focus on making and improving laws and enforcement, training officials, and teaching workers about their legal rights. Labor may not give help to the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. The Secretary of State can run a program to help China’s legal system and civil society more broadly. These programs can pay for things like workshops and seminars, help draft commercial and labor codes, provide legal training and publications, support nongovernmental groups’ operating costs, and fund travel to the United States or China so people can give or receive training.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §6981

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Commerce rule of law program

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)Labor rule of law program

(1)In general

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)Use of amounts

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

(A)developing, 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)Limitation

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

(c)Legal system and civil society rule of law program

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)Conduct of programs

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

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110