Georgia bill to limit land purchases by Chinese ‘agents’ passes state House, despite racism objections

SB420 aims to weaponise that sort of racism, she said.

“This bill, whether explicitly or not, paints a picture that residents from certain parts of this world cannot be trusted,” she said. “They are essentially suspect and potentially traitorous simply by dint of their nationality.”

Republicans shot back that the bill is not racist or discriminatory but aimed at protecting the nation’s food supply and military from foreign adversaries.

“Just to say everything is racist, that is falling on deaf ears,” said congressman James Burchett, a Republican from Waycross, Georgia. “I’m tired of it. I have been called that since I have been born, I feel like. And I am not that.”

The bill would ban agents of China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Russia who are not US citizens or legal residents from owning farmland in Georgia or any land in the state that is within 16km (10 miles) of a military installation unless they have spent at least 10 months of the previous year living in Georgia.

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Though the measure targets other countries, much of the discussion about it among lawmakers at the state Capitol has focused on China.

To be an agent, the person has to be acting on behalf of the country. The ban extends to businesses in those countries as well, but does not apply to residential property.

An earlier version of the bill that passed the state Senate would have expanded the ban to all foreign nationals from China and the four other countries who are not legal US residents, not just agents of those countries. It also would have extended the ban on land sales around military installations to 40km (25 miles).

The version approved by the state House on Thursday now goes back to the state Senate for consideration.

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