Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, announced the issuance of an Executive Order aimed at protecting Texans from harassment and coercion by "foreign adversaries," specifically naming the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Abbott shared this announcement in a post on X dated November 18.

"Ensuring the safety, welfare, & well-being of Texans is a top priority," said Abbott. "Issued an Executive Order today to target the Chinese Communist Party's harassment of Texans. I directed DPS to identify & bring criminal charges against individuals who harass Texans on behalf of the CCP."

On that date, Abbott issued Executive Order GA47, titled "Relating to the prevention of harassment and coercion of Texans by foreign adversaries." In his post, the Governor singled out the CCP and directed the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to identify and bring criminal charges against individuals who harass Texans on behalf of the CCP.

According to the Executive Order, over recent years, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has engaged in activities such as harassment, stalking, and coercion of U.S. residents to compel their return to China. This is part of a broader effort by the CCP to "forcibly return Chinese dissidents to the PRC." Abbott said that these dissidents are often guilty only of opposing PRC government or CCP actions. He emphasized that it is a fundamental duty of state government to protect its residents' safety and welfare.

In Executive Order GA47, Abbott instructed DPS to take specific actions to safeguard Texans. These include identifying and bringing appropriate charges against certain individuals, collaborating with local and federal law enforcement agencies to assess transnational repression by foreign adversaries within Texas, providing policy recommendations and training programs by January 15, 2025, and establishing a public hotline for reporting potential acts of oppression or coercion by the PRC or CCP.

According to the National Governors Association, Greg Abbott was born in Wichita Falls and raised in Duncanville, Texas. He attended the University of Texas at Austin for his undergraduate studies and earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University. Before becoming Texas's 48th Governor in 2014, he served as both the state's longest-serving Attorney General and as a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court as well as a State District Judge in Harris County.