Nebraska is leading the fight against China at the state level through a suite of reforms designed to prevent Chinese acquisition of agricultural land, identify foreign agents seeking to influence state policy, and protect state infrastructure in the event of a conflict with Beijing.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen (R) is unveiling the Cornhusker State’s 2025 National Security Threat Assessment, providing states with a blueprint on how to combat the Chinese Communist Party in agriculture, telecommunications, and cybersecurity.
“Through landmark legislation, rigorous enforcement, procurement reform, and strategic alliance-building, the Pillen administration has established Nebraska as a national leader in protecting agricultural assets, securing the homeland, and defending state digital infrastructure against foreign adversarial threats,” reads the report, which National Review first obtained.
The annual threat assessment highlights national security threats to Nebraska and the Pillen administration’s work to combat them from 2024-25. The report lays out the ways Pillen’s administration has prioritized food security, homeland protection, and cybersecurity in its attempt to limit the CCP’s ability to target Nebraska.
On the agriculture front, Nebraska has enforced legislation preventing China and other U.S. adversaries from purchasing or leasing Nebraska’s agricultural land or land near U.S. military installations. The state has done so with forced divestment investigations with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture foreign investment and disclosure reports.
Pillen’s administration has also facilitated deeper market access for U.S. allies through new trade agreements and foreign investments. Nebraska’s dual approach of defending its agricultural sector and expanding trade relationships is meant to combat China’s strategy of using its supply chain dominance in key sectors to advance its geopolitical aims. The policy reflects Nebraska’s view that food security is a vital national security issue, especially in a state where agriculture plays an important role in the economy.
To secure its homeland, Nebraska is enforcing state law mandating that agents of U.S. adversaries register with the government if they are conducting political activities. Similarly, Nebraska is enforcing state law that facilitates investigations into foreign harassment of dissidents, according to the assessment.
Nebraska bolstered its emergency preparedness for a scenario in which the U.S. faces mass economic disruptions because of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. A significant step Nebraska implemented for its emergency preparedness is procurement rules prohibiting state contracts with entities tied to China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and other U.S. adversaries.
Nebraska’s national security assessment emphasizes the threat China’s cybersecurity and espionage operations pose to its agricultural supply chain, rural electric cooperatives, water systems, and state government networks. The Pillen administration’s actions to defend Nebraska’s cybersecurity include the implementation of an executive order banning CCP-tied telecommunications company Huawei and banning certain apps on state devices and networks.
On a granular level, Nebraska implemented cyber governance programs at the state, county, and local levels. Expanding multi-factor authentication across state systems and coordinating investments in backup systems were among the measures Nebraska pursued to improve its cybersecurity practices. In 2025, Nebraska’s National Guard and Emergency Management Agency conducted their largest agro-defense and hybrid-threat exercises to date.
Moving forward, Nebraska’s national security assessment urges the state to prioritize strengthening federal partnerships in the foreign land ownership investigations and expanding enforcement related to electronic systems originating in adversarial countries. Moreover, the report advises that officials scrutinize the state’s investment in industries linked to foreign nations and identify alternate sourcing opportunities for state contracts that could be jeopardized by a conflict in Taiwan.
James Lynch is a news writer for National Review. He previously was a reporter for the Daily Caller. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and based in the Washington, D.C. area.
Reprinted with Permission from The National Review – By James Lynch
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