In 2023, over 240 anti-China proposals were introduced by state lawmakers across the United States, reflecting a significant shift in attitudes towards China. These proposals aim to ensure that public funds do not purchase Chinese technology or products, including non-essential items like T-shirts and coffee mugs for tourists. There is also a focus on terminating sister-city relationships between American and Chinese communities.

States such as Kansas, Arkansas, and Tennessee are at the forefront of these measures. Kansas has enacted a law that restricts the use of Chinese technology in artificial intelligence and medical equipment. Similarly, Arkansas is targeting sister-city ties and state contracts for promotional products. Tennessee has gone as far as prohibiting health insurance coverage for organ transplants that are conducted in China or involve Chinese organs.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who successfully pushed a broad "Communist China Defense" package into law, stated, "Either the United States or China is going to lead the world in the next few decades. For me, I want it to be the U.S." This push against China has been bolstered by the policies of former President Donald Trump, who previously imposed significant tariffs on Chinese goods, prompting state officials, particularly Republicans, to adopt similar stances.

This year, anti-China proposals have been introduced in at least 41 states, predominantly in GOP-controlled legislatures. Political analysts suggest that Trump's hardline rhetoric towards China has encouraged state officials to take a more confrontational approach, a shift from the Obama administration's more collaborative stance. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has further soured American views of China.

David Adkins, the former Kansas legislator and CEO of the nonpartisan Council on State Governments, remarked that vilifying China is a low-risk move for politicians across the political spectrum, indicating that both parties can benefit from playing the "patriotism card" against perceived threats from Beijing.

Concerns about China's increasing authoritarianism under President Xi Jinping, alongside instances such as a Chinese balloon flying over U.S. airspace in early 2023, have amplified fears regarding Chinese espionage and cyber threats. Critics see potential investments from China as a vector for the Chinese government to spy on American citizens or threaten national food security.

In Kansas, House Majority Leader Chris Croft emphasized the necessity of a unified effort among states to counteract China, particularly concerning foreign ownership near military installations. He underscored that, "All of us have a part to play." This sentiment is echoed in other states, as seen in the introduction of at least 46 proposals targeting foreign property ownership in 24 states.

However, some critics argue that the measures may be disproportionate given the actual stake that foreign adversaries hold in U.S. agricultural land. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Chinese, Iranian, North Korean, and Cuban interests collectively owned less than 1% of the nation's 1.27 billion acres of agricultural land as of the end of 2023, with Chinese interests comprising only approximately 277,000 acres.

Some lawmakers are skeptical of the anti-China measures, even among conservatives in North Dakota, spurred by a Chinese company's plan to develop farmland near a U.S. Air Force base. While there were attempts to divest state funds from Chinese companies, these efforts faced challenges, highlighting inconsistencies in legislative priorities where fundamental consumer goods are often still sourced from China.

Despite this skepticism, many states remain committed to pursuing anti-China measures. Experts like John David Minnich from the London School of Economics argue that states do have legitimate concerns regarding cyber threats and vulnerabilities related to Chinese technology in critical infrastructure. As a result, they are unlikely to reverse their anti-China policies in the near future.