Governor Greg Abbott today issued an executive order to protect the State of Texas from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) malicious espionage operations. The Governor directed all state agencies and public institutions of higher education to harden state systems and safeguard critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and personal information from being accessed by hostile foreign nations that attempt to infiltrate Texas. “Our No. 1 priority is to protect Texans, including from espionage threats from the Chinese Communist Party and its proxies,” said Governor Abbott. “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.” At the direction of Governor Abbott, all state agencies and public institutions of higher education will begin to:
- Require any company that submits a bid or proposal to certify that none of its holding companies or subsidiaries is owned by a foreign adversary government.
- Introduce 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 higher education faculty and employees from participating in any foreign recruitment program by a foreign adversary nation.
Yesterday, Governor Abbott issued an executive order to protect Texans from the coordinated harassment and coercion by the CCP. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Houston also put out a warning to Texans that the PRC may be targeting and harassing individuals of Chinese descent who speak out against the CCP in Texas. Read the Governor’s Executive Order here.