By Sau Fong O’Fallon
Chinese companies affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) own agricultural land in 29 states, totaling 346,915 acres, which a significant amount are in close proximity to U.S. military bases.
- This includes land located near Fort Liberty in Fayetteville, North Carolina (formerly Fort Bragg). A New York Post article analyzing the security threat posed by these purchases noted that Fort Liberty is “surrounded by Chinese-owned farmland within a 30-mile radius.” Fort Liberty is the largest military base in the United States in terms of personnel and is home to several U.S. Airborne and special operations units, including the storied 82nd Airborne Division. The base also contains two major airfields that are used for global airlift operations and would be central for coordinating the deployment of troops in a potential major conflict. Fort Liberty is also home to U.S. Army Special Operations Command and Army Reserve Command, among others.
- Using data from the USDA’s report on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Agricultural Land, Chinese-owned farmland entail:
- 9,952 acres in Polk County, Florida, near MacDill Air Force Base. Note this is the location of the U.S Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for defending and promoting U.S. interests in 20 nations in the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and the strategic waterways that surround them.
- 277 acres in San Diego County near Camp Pendleton.
- 100,000 acres of land in Val Verde County, Texas, is owned by Chinese billionaire Sun Guangxin, and is in the same county as Laughlin Air Force Base.
Security concerns are that Chinese agents could watch for patterns in U.S. troop movements at bases, noting shifts in those movements to anticipate U.S. deployments or see how the U.S. would respond to major international incidents. These concerns about Chinese espionage are already borne out by real-world examples, as there have been many incidents in recent years of Chinese “tourists” entering restricted military sites and attempting to take pictures and videos.
While some counter that the farmland is owned by Chinese “companies” and not by the Chinese government itself and is therefore not a national security risk. This reasoning is severely flawed. China does not have independent private enterprise in the manner of Western free-market nations. Instead, the Chinese Communist government maintains influence over all companies headquartered in China, meaning that any investments by these companies has the tacit approval (or even guidance) of the government.
Federal oversight has been deemed fairly lax, and will likely force more states to develop and enforce their own regulations regarding foreign land ownership, and some governors have already taken action:
- In October 2023, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders became the first governor in the country to kick a Chinese state-owned company off American farmland. Her administration forced Syngenta to sell its land in Craighead County and received a $280,000 fine from the company. “China is a hostile foreign adversary and under my administration, we will follow the law and not allow companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party to buy up and exploit Arkansas land,” said Governor Sanders.
- Governor Mike Parson issued Executive Order 24-01 in January 2024, which bans individuals and businesses from nations designated as foreign adversaries from purchasing agricultural land within a 10-mile radius of critical military facilities in the State of Missouri. “With heightened concerns regarding ownership of Missouri farmland by foreign adversaries, especially China, we are signing this order to safeguard our military and intelligence assets, prevent security threats to our state, and give Missourians greater peace of mind,” Governor Parson said. “When it comes to China and other foreign adversaries, we must take common sense precautions that protect Missourians and our security resources.”
- South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem warned the U.S. House Agriculture Committee in March 2024 to be vigilant about Chinese ownership of farmland in the U.S. “Over the years, I have witnessed this hostile communist country work to systematically take over more of America’s vital food supply chain,” said Noem, who has signed into law strict restrictions on select foreign entities buying farmland in her state.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Investment Security has proposed a rule that would require foreign individuals and companies to obtain U.S. government approval before purchasing property within 100 miles of military bases. It is crucial for the United States to acknowledge that Chinese entities are acquiring ownership of land that is strategically located for potential espionage against our military, despite some critics downplaying the issue by pointing out that foreign land ownership is relatively minimal. The Trump Administration needs to take further action to safeguard Fort Liberty and other installations from this type of harmful foreign influence.
Sources: https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/11/01/feds-continue-let-china-buy-land-near-military-installations/; https://northdakotamonitor.com/2024/03/20/watch-out-for-china-buying-u-s-farmland-noem-tells-u-s-house-panel/; https://governor.mo.gov/press-releases/archive/governor-parson-bans-china-owned-agricultural-land-near-critical-military/; https://governor.arkansas.gov/news_post/sanders-administration-holds-china-accountable/; https://www.counterterrorismgroup.com/post/are-chinese-entities-buying-farmland-near-us-military-bases/; https://www.themainewire.com/2024/05/new-map-breaks-down-chinese-ownership-of-farmland-by-state/
