land Trust found that the average price of American farmland has surged by 13% in the past two years, partially due to foreign investments. As land becomes more expensive,
the risk increases that independent domestic farmers will struggle to com- pete, potentially leading to consolida- tion or loss of autonomy of the nation’s domestic food production. In 2013, the controversial purchase
of meat producer Smithfi eld Foods in Smithfi eld, Virginia, by Hong Kong- based WH Group gave China control of one of the U.S.’ biggest industrial meat producers. When the market was strained
during the pandemic, its foreign own- ers showed favoritism toward China, according to Burack. “During COVID-19, when the
nation faced meat shortages on our grocery store shelves, Smithfi eld had no problem increasing exports to China,” said Burack. “In reality, there is no such thing as
a private Chinese company. They are all loyal to the Chinese.” Additionally, reports of mysterious
drone activity being detected near at least 17 U.S. military bases adjacent to Chinese-owned farmland have fueled speculation about potential cyber and intelligence threats. Tensions between China and the
United States have been simmering for years. In 2023, fears of the Chinese gov- ernment spying in the United States reached a fever pitch after a Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted over Montana and eventually shot down by the United States. Several states have enacted or pro-
posed legislation restricting or banning Chinese nationals and entities from purchasing land within their borders. In 2023, Florida passed a law pro-
hibiting Chinese nationals without per- manent residency in the United States from owning property there. Proposed laws barring Chinese
citizens from acquiring farmland in Missouri and South Dakota have also been implemented.
Collins
Economic Warfare R
ep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., warns that Chinese land purchases pose a national security threat, citing a 30% increase in Chinese-owned U.S. farmland since 2019.
“There are dangerous loopholes that allow China to target our agricultural sector,” Collins said, calling it economic warfare. He highlighted concerns that some land acquisitions are near military bases, raising security risks. Collins has urged Congress to close loopholes and restrict foreign adversaries
from buying strategic U.S. land, emphasizing the need to protect American resources from Chinese influence.
During his fi rst term, President
Donald Trump proposed a total ban on Chinese ownership of any American land, telling reporters, “We will not allow China to buy up our farms, our food supply, or our critical infrastruc- ture.” However, meaningful reforms failed to materialize. The second Trump administration
appears ready to confront the issue. A White House source told Newsmax that the problem is “on the president’s radar” but refused to say what concrete measures — if any — would be taken to address the risk. However, critics argue that legisla-
tion barring certain foreigners from American land ownership goes against the nation’s free market ethos and may unfairly discriminate against Chinese Americans or violate property rights. At the same time, civil libertar-
ians have contended that a proposed national database that would track the country of origin of all those who conduct consensual property pur- chases would be a violation of per- sonal privacy. Eric Chutorash, CEO of Fufeng
Group USA, a subsidiary of the Chi- nese-owned company that bought the farmland near Grand Forks Air Force Base, told CNBC in an interview that his workers and team are just as Amer- ican as anyone else. “We’re under U.S. law; I’m an American citizen. I grew up my whole life here, and I am not going to be doing any type of espionage activities or be associated with a company that does, and I know my team feels the exact same way,” he said. However, Burack said that while
a federal land ownership database might make some uncomfortable, it would be a reasonable fi rst step to respect American citizens’ privacy while providing a greater under- standing of the activities of foreign adversaries. “In the United States, you can own
things without the government know- ing, and most of us agree that is a good thing. Still, when it comes to a foreign adversary purchasing hundreds of thousands of strategic farmland and other vital properties, it becomes a national security threat.”
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