The communist regime in Beijing has long worked to undermine the United States.
China — which the first Trump administration recognized as a “revisionist” power keen on shaping “a world antithetical to U.S. values and interests” — and its agents have run intimidation and coercion campaigns out of illegal police stations on American soil; engaged in espionage and political destabilization efforts in the U.S.; and launched numerous cyberattacks on American institutions and critical infrastructure.
Perhaps most importantly, China has bought up vast swathes of strategically significant U.S. land.
‘Arkansas was the first state in the country to kick communist China off our farmland and out of our state.’
Some states have taken meaningful steps to fight back against these and other subversive initiatives.
The efforts by Arkansas, in particular, to defend against Chinese communist influence and infiltration have not only captured Beijing’s attention but that of State Shield, a foreign-influence watchdog group founded by Joe Gebbia, the co-founder of Airbnb who went to work last year for the Department of Government Efficiency.
State Shield, which works in over 10 states to advance policies to counter Chinese influence and bolster regional and national security, has awarded Arkansas an A+ rating in its inaugural 2025 State Shield Scorecard and named Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) “Best Governor for National Security.”
“Arkansas was the first state in the country to kick Communist China off our farmland and out of our state, and we didn’t stop there,” Sanders said in a statement obtained by Blaze News.
“We’ve taken real action to protect our land, our data, and our taxpayers from hostile foreign influence,” continued the governor. “This recognition shows that strong leadership at the state level makes a real difference in keeping our people and our economy secure.”
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Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
Whereas subsequent scorecards will reflect annual reviews of legislative activity, State Shield indicated its inaugural scorecard reflects an evaluation of work completed from 2021 to 2025. During that period, Arkansas passed numerous laws aimed at curbing foreign influence.
Last year, for instance, the Natural State, enacted legislation:
withholding funding for a state-supported institution of higher education that has a Confucius Institute or similar institute related to China, prohibiting state-sponsored investment in China, and banning sister cities with China;barring Chinese Communist Party-controlled businesses from leasing any interest in Arkansas land or holding any interest in agricultural land located within a 10-mile radius of critical infrastructure; andprohibiting colleges and universities from engaging in the creation of agricultural products, conducting classified research, or conducting agricultural research under a contract with a prohibited foreign party.
In addition to ratifying these and other pieces of legislation on-theme, Gov. Sanders moved the needle on countering Chinese influence with numerous actions and executive orders.
‘It is indeed necessary to be vigilant against Arkansas’ anti-China moves.’
Among the gubernatorial actions highlighted by State Shield was Sanders’ January 2023 executive order aimed at protecting Arkansas information and communications technology from the influence of adversarial foreign regimes, and her EO banning CCP-linked TikTok on state networks and state-issued devices.
Arkansas’ efforts to curb Chinese influence have infuriated the communists in Beijing.
When, for instance, Arkansas ordered the subsidiary of a China-owned agricultural firm ChemChina to sell off land in the Natural State pursuant to Arkansas Act 636 — legislation ratified in 2023 by Sanders — the CCP propaganda publication Global Times viciously attacked the governor.
The publication accused Sanders both of advancing “undignified” rhetoric and proving that “American politicians are incapable of driving local development, but are good at orchestrating political farces.”
It further warned that “it is indeed necessary to be vigilant against Arkansas’ anti-China moves, as they could potentially lead to imitation and similar actions by other conservative U.S. states.”
State Shield’s scorecard indicates that while Arkansas leads the pack, other red states — especially Nebraska — aren’t far behind.
Sanders, whose efforts have in some cases dovetailed with the Trump administration’s, said early last year, “President Trump is the first president in my lifetime to take a hard line against communist China, and we are proud to support that work in Arkansas by getting communist China off our land and out of our state.”
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Sarah huckabee sanders, Sanders, Arkansas, Chinese communist party, Ccp, China, Beijing, Foreign adversary, Influence, Farm land, Politics
