By Jim Hᴏft
Arkansas is the first state in the United States that is taking a strong stance against ‘hostile foreign entities,’ particularly China, by banning them from owning agricultural land in the state.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Sarah Sanders (R-AR) announced that the state has ordered the Chinese state-owned Agri Chemical Company, Syngenta, to divest itself of its land holdings in Arkansas due to national security concerns.
“Today, we are becoming the first state in the country to take an action like the one that we are announcing right now,” said Sanders. “At the beginning of my term, my administration worked with our partners in the legislature to get hostile foreign entities out of Arkansas.”
Highlighting her commitment to Arkansas’s security, she referenced Act 636, which she had proudly signed. Sponsored by Senator Johnson and Representative Vaught, this act prohibited foreign entities from nine countries deemed adversarial from owning agricultural land in Arkansas.
Sanders announced that the Chinese state-owned agrochemical company, Syngenta, would be required to relinquish its land holdings in Arkansas. Owning 160 acres in Northeast Arkansas, primarily for seed research, Syngenta has been identified as a potential threat, particularly as its parent company, Kim China, is on the Department of Defense’s list of Chinese military companies.
Sanders elaborated on the risks, stating, “Seeds are technology. Chinese state-owned corporations filter that technology back to their homeland.” This, she argued, compromised American research and security, especially considering a 2017 Chinese law that mandates Chinese citizens abroad to aid their country’s intelligence operations.
Sanders further outlined her commitment to the state’s security by referencing Act 525, which bans Chinese and Russian-made drones, and Act 758, which prohibits public contracts with the CCP. Her objective was clear: to ensure that businesses operating in Arkansas are allies of the state and its hardworking citizens.