Governor Greg Abbott 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 on Nov. 18.

"Ensuring the safety, welfare, & well-being of Texans is a top priority," said Abbott. "I 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."

Executive Order GA47 is 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, in recent years, the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Chinese Communist Party have 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 the state government to protect its residents' safety and welfare.

In Executive Order GA47, Abbott instructed DPS to identify and bring appropriate charges against certain individuals, collaborate with local and federal law enforcement agencies to assess transnational repression by foreign adversaries within Texas, provide policy recommendations and training programs by January 15, 2025, and establish a public hotline for reporting potential acts of oppression or coercion by the PRC or CCP.