Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order Thursday aimed at protecting Texans from harassment and coercion by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or its proxies. The directive instructs the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to target and arrest individuals conducting CCP influence operations, such as the PRC’s “Operation Fox Hunt,” which aims to forcibly repatriate Chinese dissidents living abroad.
“The Chinese Communist Party has engaged in a worldwide harassment campaign against Chinese dissidents,” Abbott said. “Texas will not tolerate the harassment or coercion of the more than 250,000 individuals of Chinese descent who legally call Texas home.”
The Center Square reports that the order comes ahead of the Texas legislature convening in January, where Abbott is expected to push for national security measures related to foreign adversaries. Last session, a proposed bill to ban land purchases by foreign nationals from countries posing security threats, including China, was blocked after CCP opposition.
Abbott’s order follows a recent FBI-Houston warning about PRC tactics, including cyberstalking, harassment, and intimidation of dissidents and their families in Texas. The FBI has urged victims of PRC transnational repression in the Houston area to report incidents.
The FBI previously charged individuals linked to Operation Fox Hunt for allegedly stalking and coercing U.S. residents to return to China. The agency has also uncovered CCP-linked “illegal police stations” in the U.S., including one in Houston, as part of broader global operations identified in 53 countries.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has described Operation Fox Hunt as a CCP campaign targeting political rivals, critics, and dissidents abroad, employing tactics ranging from threats to leveraging family members as coercion.
The executive order tasks DPS with several responsibilities, including:
– Partnering with local and federal law enforcement to investigate and charge individuals exploiting dissidents on behalf of foreign governments.
– Documenting and addressing acts of transnational repression.
– Developing training programs for law enforcement to identify and counter such threats.
– Providing policy recommendations by January 15, 2025, to enhance protections against foreign interference.
The state will also launch a hotline and update the iWatch Texas Community Reporting System to allow Texans to report suspicious activities linked to foreign adversaries, including the CCP.
China is an existential threat to our democracy. I am glad Texas is fighting those Chinese who are targeting good Chinese Texas residents !!
Good it’s about time.