(TotalConservative.com) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed another piece of legislation on Monday which will ban citizens of China from purchasing any land in the Sunshine State unless they also have U.S. citizenship or are permanent residents.
At a press conference, DeSantis said that the Chinese Community Party are not wanted in Florida, highlighting some concerns that they may be making a “concerted effort” to buy up farmland around the entire country, not just in Florida.
DeSantis said that “food security” was also a matter of national security, and that the CCP may be trying to take control of American food production. In 2020, over 350,000 acres of land in the U.S. were owned by China. Last month, a few dozen Chinese Americans testified in opposition to the bill, citing fears that it may result in discrimination as well as stop some of them from being able to purchase a home.
The new bill will also ban Russian, Iranian, Syrian, North Korean, Cuban, and Venezuelan citizens from purchasing land that isn’t at least 10 miles away from a military base or other critical infrastructure, such as power plants and airports.
Similar bills are being considered in states like Texas, and DeSantis said he would like to see others follow Florida’s example.
Two other bills were signed by DeSantis, designed to mitigate China’s influence in the Sunshine State. One of them restricts access to TikTok and other apps run by China on networks and devices issued to government employees. The other bans state colleges and universities from taking grants from “foreign countries of concern” or partnering with schools based in those countries without meeting particular conditions.
With both legislative chambers now controlled by the GOP and the current legislative session coming to an end, DeSantis has been signing bills in rapid succession as he very likely prepares to launch his bid for the White House and challenge former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination in 2024.
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