Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) presented a legislative bundle Wednesday that bans “Chinese Communist Party-linked companies” from leasing or purchasing land round army bases and electrical substations.
“We previously banned companies linked to the CCP [China Communist Party] and other foreign adversaries from owning farmland. We’ll ban those companies now from leasing property and owning property near our critical infrastructure, and we will shorten the amount of time a banned company has to divest from our state,” Sanders mentioned of the measure.
The bundle builds upon her 2023 efforts to prohibit international possession of agricultural land and virtual asset mining within the state thru Act 636 and 174.
Each rules had been blocked by means of U.S. District Pass judgement on Kristine G. Baker following courtroom battles through which plaintiffs claimed the acts had been unconstitutional.
Sanders’s new bundle complements previous boundaries for international corporations and likewise includes a clause that may withhold investment from schools and universities that experience Chinese language cultural facilities, a Confucius Institute or methods associated with the Other people’s Republic of China.
“We will also ban made-in-China promotional items from state government. These items should be made in America,” Sanders mentioned, lauding President Trump for the hard-line stance in opposition to the country.
“Every state in the country has a role to play in defending America from our foreign adversaries, and I’m proud that Arkansas is leading the way,” the lawmaker persisted.
State Sen. Blake Johnson (R) is a lead sponsor at the invoice, along 5 Space Republicans within the Arkansas Legislature.
“From banning Chinese military drones, to prohibiting land ownership, and now instituting severe penalties and outlawing foreign influence peddling; These restrictions aim to protect Arkansas’s economic and security interests by limiting CCP-backed entities, full stop,” state Rep. Brit McKenzie (R), a co-sponsor of the invoice mentioned in a commentary.
