Anti-China bills piling up in Texas

Lawmakers in Texas' Republican-controlled state Legislature are jumping on the bandwagon with controversial bills aimed at making China an adversary, which observers have voiced opposition to.

Since SB 147, which proposes to ban government entities, companies and citizens of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran and Russia from purchasing real property in Texas became widely known in mid-January, numerous bills of a similar nature have been proposed, all by Republican lawmakers.

The bill had stirred controversy, with several Democrats and other stakeholders criticizing it as racist by infringing on the rights of immigrants, CBS Austin reported. Houston House Democrat Gene Wu was particularly critical of the bill, holding news conferences in January to speak out against it.

Currently, there are nine bills primarily targeting China and other foreign countries in Texas.

The latest is HB 4736, proposed by state Representative Tony Tinderholt. It would shut the door of the state's higher educational institutions to students who are citizens of China, Iran, DPRK or Russia. It would also prohibit Texas universities and colleges from admitting those without a legal status in the US.

The move is "blatantly racist and stupid" and could have a major impact on Texas colleges and universities financially, observers say.

The bill echoes a comment by a former candidate for state representative, Shelley Luther, a Dallas salon owner who was defeated in the 2022 election. She tweeted last year that "Chinese students should be banned from attending all Texas universities" as part of her campaign message.

An online comment about the bill with the name Sam said: "There were tons of Chinese students at my university. They were some of the smartest, kindest and most hardworking people at my college."

"As a person in academia, a college-level teacher, and a friend to many international students, this is just blatantly racist and stupid," commented another with the name Kasey. "They pay big money (out-of-state tuition y'all) to come and study here. Money that can be used to help struggling American students."

The bill, if passed, would have a major impact on Texas colleges and universities financially, analysts noted.

According to ApplyBoard, Texas is the third most popular destination for international students in the US. For the academic year 2020-21, despite the decline in international enrollment due to the pandemic, close to 13,000 Chinese students were registered in universities and colleges in Texas.

In Houston, 1 in every 5 international students was from China during the 2020-21 academic year, and in Dallas, 16 percent of international students were from China.

For the 2022-23 academic year, 1,415 Chinese students were enrolled at the University of Texas in Austin, one of the top public schools in the state.

SB 711 would require foreign entities, businesses and individuals from countries identified as posing a risk to US national security to disclose their nation of origin when purchasing real estate property. It also allows the seller to end the sale agreement based on such disclosure without any penalty or liability.

Another bill, HB 2788, would make it a criminal offense for citizens, companies and government entities of designated countries to acquire property in Texas. The "designated countries" will be decided by the governor.

The bill proposes harsh punishments for violators: jail time and a hefty fine — the greater of $250,000 or 50 percent of the market value of the property.

HB 1075 is the only bill that isn't targeting China exclusively. It proposes to prohibit a foreign government, company or other entity that is directly or indirectly held or controlled by a foreign government and its subsidiaries from leasing, purchasing or otherwise acquiring title to or holding any other interest in agricultural land in the state.