America has a weapon that scares the daylights out of Xi Jinping. Nukes? F35s?  Attack submarines? No. Tariffs? Trade and technology sanctions? No. It’s Public Law 117-263 — passed by Congress on December 23, 2022, known also as the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.

Section 6501, in particular, is Mr. Xi’s kryptonite or worse. The title says it all: “Report on Wealth and Corrupt Activities of the Leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.” And it’s clear Mr. Xi and his colleagues are a focal point for scrutiny.

The law states that “Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall make available to the public an unclassified report on the wealth and corrupt activities of the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.” 

The measure specifies figures including “the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party” — that’s Mr. Xi — “and senior leadership officials in the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Politburo Standing Committee, and any other regional Party Secretaries.”

These are the people that matter in the CCP hierarchy. More than any other action the American Government can take, this effects the CCP’s top leadership directly. Apply sanctions and tariffs, and Mr. Xi and the CCP elite will gladly have regular Chinese absorb the hardship and punishment, limitlessly.

But explaining away the CCP leadership’s immense wealth — to include overseas bank accounts, businesses, real estate, and relatives with “green cards” is tricky — and dangerous — especially while Mr. Xi is telling all other Chinese to “eat bitterness.”

The 600 million Chinese who live on $5 a day and the huge number who live on less might not be so understanding. This corruption — preternaturally part of any communist party — could even bring down the CCP.  

Corruption was a major reason that Free China’s Nationalist, or Kuomintang, regime lost to Mao’s communists in 1949, ceding the Mainland and fleeing to Taiwan — and Mr. Xi knows it.

In 2012 Bloomberg and the New York Times reported on CCP elite wealth — to include Mr. Xi’s own relatives. The response was furious — more than anything this writer has seen in 40 years.  Bloomberg folded — fearing for its business in the PRC.  And the New York Times rolled over as well.

But it showed what’s doable — and exposed a fatal CCP vulnerability. The American intelligence community with its $100 billion annual budget can presumably do even better than a small team of reporters.

Public Law 117-263, Section 6501 ordered the Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines,  and the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to get to work and produce a report — within a year. It was due December 23, 2023 — and still hasn’t appeared. Ms. Haines and Mr. Blinken  have moved on to their next sinecures.

Things may change, however, now that a new administration is in place. Section 6501 was, in fact, pushed through by Senator Rubio — who is now Secretary of State. And President Trump’s pick for DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, could prove to be made of sterner stuff than the former bookstore owner, Ms. Haines.

Once it’s out, the Trump administration might even give Mr. Xi a hand with his touted anti-corruption campaigns and start placing liens on bank accounts, real estate, and cancelling visas and green cards.

And get America’s partners to join in.  The United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada are equally attractive bolt-holes for China’s communist elites to park their wealth and a relative or two.

Yes, the Trump administration does have to rebuild the military, tighten the flow of capital and technology to the PRC, and end suicidal dependence on Chinese manufacturing and supply chains.  Even to the point of decoupling.

But it should also do the one that “makes things personal” for Mr. Xi and the CCP leadership. Carry out Public Law 223-117, Section 6501 — and expose it to high heaven — and keep exposing it. It’s long overdue.