Abbott Orders Texas Agencies To Cut Ties With China-Linked Investments

Governor Greg Abbott sent a letter to Texas state agencies, directing them to fully divest from investments originated from China.

In the letter, Abbott asked agencies to divest from China as soon as possible, citing concerns about the Chinese Communist Party’s involvement in state investments. The Governor said CCP’s actions have “increased instability and financial risk to the State holding investments in China.”

“Therefore, all investments of state funds in China must be evaluated and immediately addressed. To further this goal, I direct Texas investing entities that you are prohibited from making any new investments of state funds in China,” Abbott wrote in the letter. “To the extent you have any current investments in China, you are required to divest at the first available opportunity. Texas will defend and safeguard itself and our public treasury from any potential threat, including those posed by the CCP.”

This is Abbott’s last action against Chinese influence in the state. Earlier this week, Abbott issued an executive order to target people trying to execute influence operations on behalf of the Chinese government.

The executive order was in response to China’s “Operation Fox Hunt,” an operation that has been used to intimidate Chinese citizens living abroad, and even forcibly repatriate dissidents, according to The Texas Tribune.

“The Chinese Communist Party has engaged in a worldwide harassment campaign against Chinese dissidents in attempts to forcibly return them to China,” Abbott said in a news release. “Texas will not tolerate the harassment or coercion of the more than 250,000 individuals of Chinese descent who legally call Texas home by the Chinese Communist Party or its heinous proxies.”

On Thursday, Abbott issued another executive order that hardened the system of state agencies and public higher education institutions from being accessed by hostile foreign nations.