Anti-Chinese laws take a toll in Florida even as Ron DeSantis falters in his presidential run
- The Florida governor has built his campaign partly on moves against Chinese staff at state universities and restrictions on property purchases
- ‘The Chinese Communist Party is not welcome in the state of Florida,’ he said in September
A two-decades-old joint US-China hospitality programme. Researchers across all academic disciplines. Scholarship recipients at a prestigious private elementary school. Chinese purchases of homes in Florida. College students who want to talk to family members in China.
These are some of the early victims of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ recent anti-Chinese influence legislation in the state – moves observers believe he made to help secure his 2024 presidential bid, and moves that he touted in at least three of the Republican primary debates.
As the 2024 presidential campaign season picks up, and candidates face pressure to be tough on China, DeSantis’ targeting of Chinese influence is unlikely to win him the Republican nomination, but may ultimately upend more lives.
‘It’s simply unconscionable’
In December, Florida International University – the state’s second largest, in terms of enrolment – ended its long-standing partnership with China’s Tianjin University of Commerce.
The two schools have hosted a joint campus for hospitality and tourism studies in Tianjin since 2003, but were compelled to discontinue in light of a foreign education entities bill DeSantis signed into law in May.
Also in December, the university paused hiring of Chinese and citizens of six other “countries of concern” – Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Venezuela – also in an effort to comply with the same law.
