By BETH BLANKLEY | THE CENTER SQUARE
Ahead of the state legislature convening in January, Gov. Greg Abbott issued four executive orders to safeguard Texas from espionage threats posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The first order directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to target and arrest anyone implementing CCP influence operations like “Operation Fox Hunt,” an initiative of the PRC to forcibly return people to China that it’s identified as so-called dissidents living in the U.S., The Center Square reported.
The second directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Public Utility Commission of Texas to prepare for potential threats against Texas’ critical infrastructure from a hostile foreign government or its proxies, including the CCP and PRC.
The third directed state agencies to divest from investments originating from China.
The fourth directed all state agencies and higher education public institutions to harden their systems and safeguard “critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and personal information from being accessed by hostile foreign nations that attempt to infiltrate Texas,” including the PRC and CCP.
“Our No. 1 priority is to protect Texans, including from espionage threats from the Chinese Communist Party and its proxies,” Abbott said. “The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that the Chinese government has actively targeted local and state officials as part of their strategy to undermine the national security of the United States. Hardening our state government is critical to protect Texans from hostile foreign actors who may attempt to undermine the safety and security of Texas and the nation. With this Executive Order, Texas will safeguard our critical infrastructure and information from threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.”
Foreign adversaries identified in the order include the PRC, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Russia and Venezuela, whose leaders have “engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States or security and safety of United States persons.”
The order requires all state agencies and public higher education institutions to implement seven measures including to:
- Require any company that submits a bid or proposal to certify that none of its holding companies or subsidiaries are owned by a foreign adversary government;
- implement stronger background check procedures on state employees and contractors who have access to critical infrastructure;
- prohibit state employees from accepting gifts from or work-related travel to foreign adversary countries;
- prohibit state agencies from contracting with companies owned or controlled by a foreign adversary government;
- prohibit public higher education faculty and employees from participating in any foreign recruitment program by a foreign adversary nation.
The order also requires public higher education institutions to submit reports on foreign gift disclosures to the legislature every year. They are also required to prohibit faculty and employees from participating in any foreign recruitment programs sponsored by foreign adversaries, including the PRC’s Thousand Talents Program.
Abbott also instructed all state agencies and public higher education institutions to certify their compliance within 60 days of the end of the regular legislative session next year.
His order cites congressional and counterintelligence reports outlining threats posed by the PRC, CCP, and other foreign adversaries, including Chinese spies allegedly infiltrating the New York governor’s office.
The orders follow other actions Abbott and the legislature have taken.
In 2021, Abbott signed into law the “Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act,” which the Texas legislature unanimously passed to ban Texas governmental entities and businesses from entering into contracts with companies owned or controlled by hostile foreign nations to gain access to Texas’ critical infrastructure. They did so after learning that a Chinese billionaire and former Chinese People’s Liberation Army general bought over 130,000 acres of land just miles from Laughlin Air Force base in Val Verde County, the largest air force pilot training base in the U.S., The Center Square reported.
In the last legislative session in 2023, Abbott said he would sign a bill banning foreign nationals from countries, including the PRC, that pose national security threats to the U.S. from purchasing land in Texas. The bill passed the Texas Senate with bipartisan support but was blocked from advancing in the House by a committee chair, Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, after the CCP spearheaded a campaign against it, The Center Square reported.
The actions were taken after the U.S. House this year passed several bills to combat Chinese national security threats. They did so after the greatest number of Chinese nationals – more than 176,000 – were reported illegally entering the U.S. under the Biden administration, The Center Square reported.
China is causing problems all over the world I hope the people getting rich from cheep Chinese labor are happy.
It was a bad decision to bring China into the 21st-century because now everybody’s phone and data is suspect. The state of Alaska needs to take similar steps to protect its infrastructure and the citizens from Chinese theft.
Well done! All states should follow!
Tom; I agree. Alaska’s governor should do the same with Canada’s Northern Dynasty’s pebble that was convicted of Security’s Fraud for lying about the true intended size of a would be mine which was much larger than the small proposed mine also of which President Trump stoped through Army Corp. of Engineers permit denial.
More than 200 million is owed to duped investors.
Go Trump.
This is very good news coming from Texas. Alaska’s governor and legislature now have an exemplary set of building blocks to use for our own defense.
I will urge this added provision: Alaska state agencies and contractors may purchase NOTHING that originates in China. Trade with China is an experiment that has utterly failed to moderate that government’s totalitarian and hostile nature, as any patriotic and sober-minded U.S. statesmen ought to have predicted. Joe and Hunter Biden, of course – and too many other greedy politicians and multinational corporate officers – are not sober minded.
Let’s get to work immediately, Gov. D!
Governor Abbot has done more to protect Americans from our feckless leaders (Obama/Biden) actions of the past four years than all of the democratic controlled states combined.
Greg Abbot and Kristi Noem would make a perfect team in DC.
Fellow patriots, fellow Alaskans.
Many patriots throughout history try to protect other citizens, fueled by the phrase “ and heartfelt belief of “ All for Liberty! “
We, our very homeland IS being invaded friends, please wake up !
Remember when Walker was installed as Governor and that foreign adversary country was about to build our natural gas pipeline and was about to be given 3/4 of our natural gas in the process ?
This Governor Mike Dunleavy came out swinging against this tyranny and other things… but sadly, and even possibly to our homeland’s demise, he sure has changed. Are foreign adversaries still involved in Alaska’s government ? We see it !
Is that why we are occupied by approximately 10,000 illegals and 60,000 + non citizens, with the blessing and financial support by this Governor Dunleavy’s administration which has been said to have been flying in Biden’s foreigners since 2021 and placing them all over our homeland ??
Many states have become Mecca’s for non citizen occupiers to the point of no longer being recognizable as American, overwhelmingly filled with immigrants from emptied prisons, mental hospitals along with thousands of military age men ! Pray for our beloved homeland, our Last Frontier !!
He, this compromised man Dunleavy has two more years to go, along with our selected lawmakers who don’t seem to care about American or Alaskan citizens as their first priority but like one of their leaders said sarcastically , “ We will do whatever we want, with or without public consent. “
God help us all, in Christ Jesus’ name, friends, He is our only hope !
You are right! Illegals on the streets and working small jobs or disguised as legal citizens. Churches taking them in giving them jobs and all living essentials. Dunleavy and his lying crew are a part of it from money’s from the state to consent in other forms. I saw the Communist Red Chinese flag waving in the breeze in Eagle River last fall. So, all of the crap the US takes is brought on by this administration of Alaska and a blind eye by our representatives in the legislature.
Good to see Abbott standing up for Texas