Based on figures from 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that Chinese investors have purchased more than 277,000 acres of farmland in the U.S.
Chinese ownership of farmland throughout America would seem to be a logical move for them and, on balance, not a concern. After all, mainland China is roughly the size of the continental United States but has more than four times the population. Hence, one might conclude that it make sense for Chinese investors to purchase farmland here and elsewhere since food supply for their people is a continuing issue.
Too Close for Comfort
The problem is that these purchases happen to be too close to 19 strategic U.S. military installations. Is it a coincidence, however, that Chinese purchases of such land surround 19 critical U.S. military installations? For example, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, the largest military installation in America based on population and the home of the U.S. Army’s Airborne and Special Operation Forces, is a mere 30 miles away from Chinese owned farmland.
In North Dakota, the Grand Forks Air Force Base is within a stones throw of Chinese-owned agricultural land, prompting the Air Force assistance secretary to say that the purchase “presents a significant threat to national security.” These are but two examples of many. Worse, it could turn out that Chinese-owned farmland in the U.S. exceeds 277,000 acres because of under-reporting.
Under Reported and Little Known
Based an estimate from the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center, the Chinese could well own another 100,000 acres beyond what has been cataloged and documented.
How Chinese investors are able to own so much farmland within the U.S. is a question that should have been explored years ago. In 1978, Congress passed the Agriculture Foreign Investment Disclosure act. This 47-year old act requires foreign investors of farming and agricultural lands to report their purchases to the U.S. government. Additionally, Congress is supposed to receive an annual report detailing such purchases. Well, guess what? Such disclosures were rarely if ever enforced.
One particular Chinese purchase, a sizable tract in Oregon, had been shielded from public notice until most recently. The farmland went unreported for years and was only uncovered by accident.
CCP in Control
One might say that the Chinese government does not own any U.S. farmland. This is, however, a smoke screen. As mandated by the Chinese Communist Party, Chinese citizens cannot own land. All land, even here, is considered state-owned. Individual Chinese investors can only maintain land use rights for a defined period of time.
What this boils down to is the sneaking suspicion that all of the U.S. farmland purchased by Chinese investors is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. The investors simply act as proxies.
Adding to the difficulties of the situation, U.S. farmers report that such purchases have resulted in rising land prices, making it harder for small to mid-size U.S. farmers to purchase or even lease land. In just the last two years, the cost of U.S. farmland has risen 13%.
Asleep at the Wheel
The Biden Administration, typically, was lax in terms of both monitoring and controlling such land deals. As such, governors in a variety of states moved to restrict or outright ban Chinese investors from purchasing farmland within their state borders.
Under Ron DeSantis, Florida enacted a law that prohibits Chinese investors from purchasing land unless they are permanent residents. South Dakota and Missouri have since followed suit.
Fortunately, with Donald Trump back in office, his administration is well aware of the issue. Leftist claim that establishing a database of foreign investors in U.S. land poses risks to personal privacy. Leftists also maintain that preventing foreign investors from owning land, particularly farm land, represents bias against Chinese Americans. And they say that any such restrictions violate property rights.
Commonsense Versus Leftist Nonsense
Creating a federal land database and tracking owners, including the size of their investment and the acreage acquired, while upsetting to the Left, represents a common sense approach to shoring up our nation’s security.
Most people would generally agree that the U.S. government doesn’t need to know about every other land purchase. In the case of a foreign adversary such as China, acquiring hundreds of thousands of farmland acreage in strategic locations, one cannot deny that such a development is a direct threat to national security.
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Jeff Davidson is “The Work-Life Balance Expert®” and the premier thought leader on work-life balance, effectiveness, integration, shift, blend, and harmony. Jeff speaks to organizations that seek to enhance their overall productivity by improving the effectiveness of their people. He is the author of Breathing Space, Perfect Timing, Simpler Living, Dial it Down, and Everyday Project Management. Visit BreathingSpace.com or call 919-932-1996 for more information on Jeff’s keynote speeches and seminars.
