Arkansas is kicking out a Chinese-owned seed company in a first-of-its-kind action.
Across the US, these types of laws meant to protect American technology from Chinese Communist spies have been put in place. But Arkansas is the first state to officially order a Chinese company, Syngenta Seeds, to divest its land in Arkansas and get the heck out.
Watch Governor Huckabee Sanders' speech:
The company that owns Syngenta, ChemChina, is also on the Department of Defense's list of Chinese military companies posing a clear threat to our state.
Seeds are technology. Chinese state-owned corporations filter that technology back to their homeland, stealing American research and telling our enemies how to target American farms. That is a clear threat to our national security and to our great farmers.
Sanders goes on to talk about a 2017 Chinese law that required Chinese citizens abroad to talk with Chinese intel sources back home on their work, "no questions asked."
It's a mandate for Chinese nationals to spy on American technology.
There's no reason for China to own land in Arkansas when all it's doing is giving our foreign adversary a distinct advantage over us and, as the governor pointed out, threatening our national security.
Arkansas' Attorney General is taking this action against China.
The enforcement action by Arkansas' attorney general is the first under the wave of new laws, many of which specifically targeted investments from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, said Micah Brown, a staff attorney at the agricultural law center.
"Historically, states that had a law before this year, there wasn't much enforcement," said Micah Brown, a staff attorney at the agricultural law center.
The state can take action in court if this order is not followed. Arkansas is also fining Syngenta $280,000 because it did not report that it was a foreign-owned company which is required under a 2021 law.
The AG has full confidence that Syngenta will pay the fine and sell off its lands.
Well done, Arkansas!
Now other states need to follow suit!
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