South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Monday on Newsmax outlined the steps being taken in her state to limit the threats posed by China, including signing an order banning state employees and contractors from using the social media site TikTok and calling for the South Dakota Investment Council to determine if there are any ties between the state's investments and Chinese companies.
"It's so important that we take action like this to protect our people," the Republican governor said on Newsmax's "John Bachman Now," noting that by banning TikTok, the video site is now inaccessible from state devices and servers.
"It will also be a criminal offense if they do access this because we know how the Chinese communist government is using this to gain data and information on American citizens," said Noem.
Meanwhile, the state's Investment Council is responsible for investing funds that help with the retirement and pensions of state employees, and dealing with Chinese companies would not be in the best interest of South Dakota residents or the United States, said Noem.
Already, within seven days, the council has determined a connection with two companies established in China, said Noem, and "we changed our course of action so we no longer do that."
"We all know that China wants to destroy the United States of America," she said. "They hate us. They are the enemy, and we should not be investing in any kind of a company that supports their communist policies."
State officials are learning more about the Chinese every day, she added.
"For years, we have known how they manipulated their currency," Noem said. "We know they're building up their military. We've known for many years that their goal is to weaken the United States of America, and now we're recognizing how much they're using technology against us to gather data and information on the U.S. citizens."
President Joe Biden, however, is "is not protecting people" so states must take action, said Noem, pointing out that she's also taking action to keep the Chinese from buying up farmland in the state or having long-term leases that will give them a foothold.
Noem also discussed the upcoming lifting of Title 42 policies at the border, which is coming up this month. The health policy, put in place by former President Donald Trump during the pandemic, is aimed at keeping ill people from entering the country.
"We're preparing," she said. "We don't live on the border, but we deal with the ramifications of it every single day."
The increased drug flow from the border states is also harming South Dakota, Noem said.
"We've been very strong in making sure that our citizens are all United States citizens."
She said South Dakota has sent National Guard personnel, helicopters, and aircraft to the border to help law enforcement there, and will continue doing that.
"The only reason the governors like myself have to take that kind of action is because the president doesn't do it," she said. "It's incredibly dangerous to have a president like this in the White House that will not protect our border."
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