Texas Governor Greg Abbott has taken a strong stance to strengthen the state’s defenses against what he believes to be espionage threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliates amid an increased emphasis on global security. Abbott signed an executive order Tuesday, ordering public institutions and state agencies to strengthen their defenses against possible enemies, specifically citing China as a source of nefarious espionage activities. “Hardening our state government,” as he put it, is Abbott’s strategy to keep foreign actors from jeopardizing Texas’s and the US’s overall safety and security.
The executive order requires state agencies to make sure their partner corporations aren’t working with hostile nations, according to a report by KVUE. Stricter background checks will also need to be implemented by these agencies, and personnel are not allowed to accept gifts or enter into contracts with organizations associated with foreign hostile groups. Notably, the directive also prohibits employees of higher education institutions from engaging in international hiring practices that might compromise the integrity of the country.
Additionally, Abbott emphasized the need for this directive in a press release from the governor’s office, citing FBI reports that claim the Chinese government has targeted state and local officials as part of an effort to infiltrate and compromise the US security apparatus, as reported by News Channel 6 Now. In an effort to stop infiltration at the contractual level, the executive order also mandates that proposers and bidders attest to the fact that they have no ownership connections to foreign adversary governments. Additional clauses forbid employees from accepting gifts or traveling to such countries on business, and they limit higher education staff from taking part in hostile foreign hiring practices.
Abbott’s action follows another order that directed Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers to hold people suspected of harassing Texans on behalf of foreign organizations after China was reported to have established “police service stations” abroad to intimidate dissidents, according to KVUE. The previous directive, which came into effect one day before to the present mandate, demonstrated Abbott’s steadfast position on state security and, possibly, his overall political attitude in the face of several international espionage worries.
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