Chinese Floridians Protest DeSantis' New Property Law

Chinese Floridians Protest DeSantis' New Property Law

CCP responds to DeSantis' new law

Jim McCool
Jim McCool
|
July 19, 2023

While Governor DeSantis (R-FL) has taken bold moves to combat Chinese influence domestically in the state of Florida, not all Floridians are happy with his recent policy decisions.  Now, Chinese Floridians are not only protesting the state's recent law but suing the state of Florida as well.

Earlier this year, Governor DeSantis signed a bill into law to prohibit Chinese citizens from buying land in the state of Florida.  The bill would also prohibit citizens of other countries that have a contentious history with the United States, such as Russia or Iran, from buying property in Florida within a certain distance of a US military base.

While Americans largely support the policy, with polling numbers reporting 63% approval, not everyone is happy about the policy on the grounds that it is discriminatory against Chinese people.

A lawsuit is currently being held before a federal judge, with the pursuant party insisting he block the bill now signed into law.  This week while the hearings proceeded, 60 people gathered in front of Florida's Historic Capitol to voice their opposition to the bill.

The rally was hosted by the Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA), a group created after a similar protest in April. The group. "There are always all of these stereotypes and really tired tropes that governments have used, perpetuating Asians as foreigners and enemies of the state,” Bethany Li, an attorney with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund who also represents the plaintiffs, told reporters before the hearing.

The governor however, paints a different picture of the legislation, finding meaning in protecting the United States from communist influences, "Today is one example of Florida really leading the nation in terms of what we're doing to stop the influence of the Chinese Communist party," stated the governor on the law.

While Chinese Americans may be contending the law, China buying property in the United States is not a new phenomenon.  In 2021, the Chinese government spent over $6 billion on real estate in the United States.  Chinese investors also held as of 2021, over 380,000 acres of land in the United States.

These moves have also enflamed US-Chinese relations when considering the recent move by the Chinese government to commission a military base in Cuba, just miles away from the state of Florida.  However, the CCP still does not see the need for the law DeSantis signed, spokesperson Mao Ning stated that DeSantis is violating the rules of market economy and international trade.

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Jim McCool

Jim McCool

Jim is a graduate of Florida State University where he studied Political Science, Religion and Criminology. He has been a reporter for the Floridian since January of 2021 and will start law school in 2024.

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