OPINION — As global competition intensifies, America’s adversaries are increasingly targeting the infrastructure that connects us all together. Telecommunications networks and data centers are no longer just economic assets; they are national security targets.
Ensuring they are protected from foreign influence is essential to safeguarding the American homeland.
The word “critical” in critical infrastructure is not symbolic; it’s literal. In our interconnected world, when these systems fail or are compromised, everything from emergency services to energy delivery, communications and economic activity can grind to a halt.
And unlike traditional wars fought between armies, the modern competition with the Chinese Communist Party targets civilian systems first, meaning ordinary Americans, their homes, and their communities on the front line.
That is why Arizona House Bill 2134 is a timely and important step. The legislation strengthens Arizona’s ability to prevent hostile foreign actors from gaining ownership or influence over critical infrastructure within the state, an increasingly urgent priority as adversarial regimes seek access points into American systems.
Chinese Communist Party-linked land purchases near sensitive infrastructure in Arizona present a growing national security vulnerability, creating opportunities for surveillance, disruption, or strategic leverage over critical systems.
Arizona’s effort also aligned with federal actions already underway. In 2020, President Trump signed H.R. 4998, known as the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, which established the Federal Communications Commission’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, otherwise known as “Rip and Replace.” This was passed to remove high-risk telecommunications equipment from U.S. networks that could be exploited by foreign adversaries.
That effort is designed not only to eliminate security vulnerabilities but also to rebuild America’s communications backbone with trusted, domestic technology.
Importantly, the bill recognizes the scale of the threat posed by the CCP by addressing not only companies with direct ties to the CCP, but Chinese technology more broadly, acknowledging that, under China’s national security laws, all firms ultimately support the Party’s objectives and are subject to government intervention.
This concern only intensified with China’s newly amended cybersecurity law, which significantly expands government authority over technology companies and network operators. Under that framework, any Chinese technology or network provider is essentially an extension of the Party’s intelligence apparatus.
State legislation like HB 2134 helps codify critical federal policies, further securing the Nation using a whole-of-government approach and driving the momentum forward.
By tightening safeguards around infrastructure ownership and security, Arizona is reinforcing the broader national push to onshore trusted capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign-controlled technology, putting Americans first.
Protecting critical infrastructure and rebuilding domestic capacity are two sides of the same coin. If the U.S. is serious about defending the homeland in the modern era of global competition, policies that secure our networks and promote American industry must move together.
Arizona is showing what that looks like in practice.
Former Trump administration official Bella Grabowski is America First Policy Institute’s Strong and Sovereign America campaign director. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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