Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, along with Republican allies in the state legislature, are backing legislation to crack down on the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in the Sunshine State.
DeSantis and Republican lawmakers are backing two bills that take aim at Beijing. The first seeks to cut down on China’s influence in the academic field, requiring transparency for foreign donations over $50,000. The second increases penalties for corporate espionage. In the bill, trade theft is raised to a second-degree felony. Trafficking trade secrets is raised to a first-degree felony.
According to the governor, the Chinese Communist Party represents a unique and existential threat to American life.
“The growing presence of the Chinese communist party influence in domestic and international affairs is one of the most pervasive threats to American security and prosperity,” he said.
On the surface, it’s hard to find anything wrong with what Governor DeSantis or the rest of Florida’s Republican caucus are doing. China has consistently proven to be threat on multiple fronts, particularly in corporate espionage. Unfortunately, this isn’t an area where both of America’s major parties agree.
In contrast, President Joe Biden has openly cozied up to China and President Xi Jinping. This is pretty bold, considering that the country still hasn’t been held responsible for unleashing a world-stopping pandemic on the rest of the Earth. The authoritarian state is also getting away with a brutal genocide of its Muslim Uyghur population. Curiously, Democrats rarely seem to have anything to say about that. Also, China’s attempts to militarize the South China Sea and project power over its South Asian neighbors is barely a secret.
For all intents and purposes, China has replaced the Soviet Union as America’s foremost geo-political adversary. Their influence over American business, academic life, and especially public policy must be curtailed at every opportunity. Hopefully, more state governments follow Florida’s example.
