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JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Republicans are putting China back in the crosshairs, aiming to stop the country from selling drones or buying more land in the state.

In a Senate hearing Monday, lawmakers debated a plan to halt foreign purchases of Missouri farmland as part of increased tensions between the U.S. and China.

Sen. Rusty Black, R-Chillicothe, said Missouri needs to update its farmland ownership laws to address security concerns.

Lawmakers voted in 2013 to allow up to 1% of the state’s farmland to be held by foreign entities. That law paved the way for a Chinese company to purchase Smithfield Foods, which operates Missouri’s largest pork operation, and its 40,000 acres of Missouri farmland.

According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report, foreign entities held 474,305 acres of Missouri’s agricultural land as of Dec. 31, 2023, which equates to an estimated 1.3% of the total agricultural land in proportion to privately held agricultural land.

Black, who is a farmer, wants to ban all future land purchases by foreign entities, but would allow Smithfield to continue operating as long as it isn’t sold to another foreign owner.

The plan also would allow foreign-owned companies to own farmland if they are using it for research related agriculture.

The proposal has the backing of farming groups, but it is opposed by the Missouri Realtors, which said the government should not get involved in private property ownership issues.

The debate in the Senate Local Government, Elections and Pensions Committee came as a House panel also was scheduled to discuss a plan to prohibit aerial drones manufactured in China or Russia from being sold in Missouri as a way to eliminate a possible security threat.

As part of a state and national effort to address potential technological threats from China and Russia, the measure would prohibit the sale of the foreign-made units later this year.

Rep. Josh Hurlbert, R-Smithville, who is sponsoring a proposal, said the unmanned aircraft may offer adversaries the ability to remotely access and manipulate the devices, exposing sensitive security data.

The use of drones by police has been on the rise in recent years as law enforcement agencies deploy the devices to provide strategic views of crime scenes, protests or large events.

The crackdown on Chinese drones has been underway in Washington, D.C., for years.

Congress in 2019 banned the Pentagon from buying or using drones and components manufactured in China.

The White House also has drafted rules focusing on drones with Chinese and Russian equipment, chips and software.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has 29 drone units, each of which were manufactured in the U.S. The patrol has four DJI units, but they are not being utilized, said patrol spokesman Capt. Scott White.

The legislation would give local police departments currently using the blacklisted Chinese models two years to retire them from their fleets.

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