Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced a package of bills to block China from doing business in and with the state on Wednesday.
The governor referred to the legislation as the “Communist China Defense Legislative Package.” The six bills in the package, some of which have been introduced as some remain pending, target “Communist China influence” in the state, the governor said.
Sanders cited the 60 foreign intelligence investigations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the U.S. in 2024, adding that 80% of the foreign intelligence cases in the state are based on CCP actions.
The bills will strengthen existing laws, such as shortening the time for selling a banned land holding, banning lobbying by the CCP and forbidding any Arkansas municipality from having a sister city in China.
The governor said that any college or university with a Confucious Institute would not receive any state funding, stating that China often uses such institutions to establish intelligence operations.
The governor said the state will not use any made-in-China goods for promotion in the future.