Texas Legislature should not blame the Chinese for Communist Party behavior

With noble notions, Texas Senate Bill 147 to ban Chinese citizens from buying Texas properties misses the mark and costs Texans money. But we can make the bill better to accomplish its objectives.

My opposition to SB 147 may seem to contradict my prior testimony to Texas congressional committees. Two years ago, I urged Texas to ban companies controlled by the Communist Party of China from connecting to the Texas power grid. That was about entities with direct ties to the Chinese government and direct connection to our critical infrastructure. SB 147 is not. From decades of building energy businesses in China, I have learned the importance of distinguishing between the Communist Party and the people it oppresses.

SB 147 fails to make that distinction. Instead of targeting Chinese citizens, the bill can and should target agents of the Chinese government. Companies and individuals working for the party span ethnicities. Targeting Chinese citizens targets a group likely to protect Texas and neglects a broad swath of the threat we face.