The Chinese government is making aggressive moves inside the U.S. by acquiring farmlands near military bases. These recent activities by the communist country have opened a new account of disagreement between Beijing and Washington.
China's buying up U.S. farmland near military bases & bought more U.S. housing than any foreign country last year.
America can’t ignore the strategic threat. The Exposing China’s Belt & Road Investment in America Act is key to protecting our real estate, IP & national security.
— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) July 27, 2022
According to a Washington Times report, reports from China explain their recent activities as part of an effort to meet the increasing domestic demands of the agricultural sector. Polluted water and reduced arable land are other reasons for the Chinese venture into U.S. soil, but no one is buying that.
China's purchase of US farmland is a national security concernhttps://t.co/RpvZgc95Ka
— Jenna Ellis 🇺🇸 (@JennaEllisEsq) July 18, 2022
There are obvious security concerns that the U.S. cannot ignore. California and New York have also been recent targets for Asian deep pockets trying to get their money away from the Chinese government.
The Chinese spy balloon that flew over the U.S. airspace makes it crucial to be alert to all moves from Beijing. The spy balloon didn’t only spite the territorial sovereignty of the U.S. Flying over the country’s sensitive military bases made it a threat to national security.
Marshall Billingslea, a former assistant secretary at the Treasury Department in charge of monitoring foreign land transactions, said the Chinese government has been trying to acquire assets with close proximity to national security installations. Billingslea added that this has been going on for about Twenty years, insinuating that necessary counter-actions are required.
China’s purchase of farmland requires Congress’ intervention and Billingslea opined that such activities should be prohibited. In the previous year, Congress debated similar legislation but failed to enforce it comprehensively.
An outright ban should be placed on Chinese land purchases in the U.S. based on national security concerns. Fourteen states currently prohibit or restrict foreign ownership of private land. These states include Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Missouri.
The government stopped a recent attempt to purchase an agricultural facility near an Air-force base in North Dakota. Despite the potential benefits of Foreign Investment and job opportunities for Americans, the onsite installations could be used to spy on the U.S. military.
Earlier this year, the Chinese social media app Tik-Tok was banned on all government devices. Its ability to be used for espionage acts and gather sensitive data makes such actions necessary.
