Arkansas leads the charge in the United States by implementing a strong stance against ‘hostile foreign entities,’ with a particular focus on China, by banning them from owning agricultural land in the state.
At a Tuesday press conference, Governor Sarah Sanders of Arkansas, a Republican, declared that the state has ordered the Chinese state-owned Agri Chemical Company, Syngenta, to sell off its land assets in Arkansas because of national security concerns.
“Today, we are becoming the first state in the country to take an action like the one that we are announcing right now,” Sanders said.
“At the beginning of my term, my administration worked with our partners in the legislature to get hostile foreign entities out of Arkansas,” she added.
Emphasizing her dedication to Arkansas’ security, she pointed to her proud signing of Act 636, which was sponsored by Senator Johnson and Representative Vaught. This legislation bans foreign entities from nine countries deemed adversarial to owning agricultural land in Arkansas.
Sanders disclosed that the Chinese state-owned agrochemical firm, Syngenta, would have to give up its land holdings in Arkansas.
With 160 acres in Northeast Arkansas primarily used for seed research, Syngenta has raised concerns as a possible threat, especially since its parent company, Kim China, is listed among the Chinese military companies by the Department of Defense.
Sanders went into further detail about the risks, stating: “Seeds are technology. Chinese state-owned corporations filter that technology back to their homeland.” This, she argued, compromised American research and security, especially considering a 2017 Chinese law that mandates Chinese citizens abroad to aid their country’s intelligence operations.
Sanders reinforced her dedication to the state’s security by pointing to Act 525, which bars drones manufactured by China and Russia, and Act 758, which forbids public contracts with the CCP. Her goal was straightforward: to ensure that businesses operating in Arkansas are allies of the state and its hardworking citizens.
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