Florida: DeSantis signs package of laws to "counteract influence" of Chinese Communist Party

One of the regulations prohibits the purchase of land in the state by persons affiliated with the People's Republic of China.

Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida. — (Cordon Press)

Published by

Verónica Silveri Pazos

9 de mayo, 2023

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed several laws to "counteract the malign influence" of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the state.

These include prohibitions on those associated with the People's Republic of China from purchasing agricultural land or real estate in The Sunshine State, blocking apps such as TikTok on government devices, and depriving educational institutions from entering into agreements with foreign nations deemed concerning:

I signed the strongest legislation in the nation to stop the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (...) We are following through on our commitment to crack down on Communist China. ... Florida has once again taken the lead in protecting American interests from foreign threats and has provided a blueprint for other states to do the same.

In a press conference, the governor stated that he is "proud to sign this legislation." He defended that he does not want a CCP presence in the state and assured that Florida must be kept free:

Today Florida makes it very clear: we don't want the CCP in the Sunshine State. We want to make maintain this as the Free State of Florida. And that's exactly what these bills are.

Laws against China signed by DeSantis

In total, DeSantis signed three laws that were previously approved by state legislators. These are also intended to curb the influence of other "hostile foreign nations" such as Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Cuba, Syria and North Korea:

- SB 264 "Foreign Country Interests": prohibits the purchase of real estate from those related to the People's Republic of China and by "hostile foreign nations" no closer than 9.9 miles from military bases and agricultural land. The law has an exception for persons who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the country. It also prevents companies linked to these nations from doing business with the state:

[SB 264] restricts governmental entities from contracting with foreign countries and entities of concern and restricts conveyances of agricultural lands and other interests in real property to foreign principals, the People’s Republic of China, and other entities and persons that are affiliated with them. It also amends certain electronic health record statutes to ensure that health records are physically stored in the continental U.S., U.S. territories, or Canada.

Stop CCP Influence 2023 by Verónica Silveri on Scribd

- SB 846 "Educational Entity Agreements with Foreign Entities": prohibits state colleges and universities from entering into agreements with "hostile foreign nations." This includes receiving funds and gifts:

[SB 846] Prohibits state colleges and universities and their employees and representatives from soliciting or accepting any gift in their official capacities from a college or university based in a foreign country of concern. It also prohibits state colleges and universities from accepting any grant from or participating in any agreement or partnership with any college or university based in a foreign country of concern. A state college or university may only participate in a partnership or agreement with a college or university based in a foreign country of concern if authorized by the Board of Governors or the State Board of Education. The bill also prohibits the ownership or operation of any private school participating in the state’s school choice scholarship program by a person or entity domiciled in, owned by, or in any way controlled by a foreign country of concern.

- SB 258 creates a banned apps list and prohibits the use of apps such as TikTok on mobile devices that are publicly owned. The law blocks access to banned applications on all Florida government servers and devices:

[SB 258] Requires the Department of Management Services to create a list of prohibited applications owned by a foreign principal or foreign countries of concern, including China, which present a cybersecurity and data privacy risk. The bill requires government and educational institution to block access to prohibited applications on all government servers and devices in Florida and requires public employers to retain the ability to remotely wipe and uninstall these dangerous applications from government issued devices.

Food is also part of national security

DeSantis indicated that food security is also part of national security, claiming that he does not want CCP to be in charge of any food production in Florida.

Commissioner Wilton Simpson stated that "food security is national security, and we have a responsibility to ensure Floridians have access to a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply."

China and other hostile foreign nations control hundreds of thousands of acres of critical agricultural lands in the U.S., leaving our food supply and our national security interests at risk. Restricting China and other hostile foreign nations from controlling Florida’s agricultural land and lands near critical infrastructure facilities protects our state, provides long-term stability, and preserves our economic freedom.

According to the Department of Agriculture, China owned 352,140 acres of U.S. land in 2020. This is slightly less than 1% of the total land owned by foreigners.