Bipartisan Group of Senators Push to Ban China From Buying US Farmland

On March 22, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators put forth an idea that would forbid foreign adversaries — including Chinese-controlled entities — from buying American farmland.

Sen. Mike Braun( R-India ) John Tester( D-Mont ) The legislation, according to Marco Rubio( R-Fla. ) and Tommy Tuberville, is intended to address national security issues related to Chinese farmland ownership in the United States, including food security and China’s threat to the U.S. military and economic power.

No matter how long the license lasted, the ban may also apply to agricultural land leases if it were to be implemented. The senators stated in a speech that the ban applies to any person or thing that is” owned by, controlled, or subject to the jurisdiction or course of any foreign adversary ,” which includes Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia. U.S. members and holders of green cards are not included in the restrictions.

Braun raised the alarm about the sharp rise in Chinese possession of U.S. farm when he submitted paperwork in November to run for governor of Indiana in 2024.

In a speech, he stated that” Chinese rights of American land has increased more than 20-fold in the past ten years.” ” We don’t permit our top foreign rivals to acquire American land and jeopardize our agricultural provide chains.”

According to the Department of Agriculture, China owned 325, 686 hectares of agricultural land in the United States as of December 31, 2020. Although the land under Chinese ownership is significantly less than 1 % of all agricultural land held abroad, it represents a more than 20-fold increase from the 13,720 acres in 2010.

In a similar statement, Rubio stated that” foreign enemies, including the Chinese Communist Party, should never be permitted to manage American agricultural estates or our food present.” ” We never permit these systems to keep taking advantage of our system’s openness.” To safeguard our national security objectives, this bipartisan legislation is a crucial part.

In addition to get used for” agricultural, timber, or timber production needs” as defined by the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978, the measure already designates land for farming as agricultural property.

defending US farm

China’s acquisition of American farmland has grown to be a major priority in most states in recent years.

A proposal in Virginia that forbids foreign adversaries from purchasing agricultural land in the state, including China, was approved by both say legislature chambers and is currently awaiting the governor’s signature on March 27.

State senators in Florida and Texas are advancing same ideas.

The most recent U.S. Senate bill would give the federal government the opportunity to deal with issues that are comparable to two recent high-profile cases that were both approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States( CFIUS ), a cross-departmental panel that examines foreign acquisitions for potential threats to national security.

In Grand Forks, North Dakota, in the fall of 2021, Fufeng USA, a U.S. company of the China-based Fuveng Group, bought 370 acres of farmland for tampering with wheat. Less than 15 yards from the Grand Forks Air Force Base, which houses private aircraft, dish, and tracking technology, CFIUS decided in December 2022 that it lacked the authority to look into the purchase of the property. Democratic lawmakers and locals who claimed the undertaking threatened both regional and economic security had reacted strongly to it.

The U.S. Air Force issued a” substantial threat to national security” warning at the end of January regarding the challenge. The Grand Forks City Council unanimously decided to abandon the task that was approved in July 2022 in early February.

A Chinese billionaire and former military official purchased almost 140,000 acres of land in Val Verde County, Texas, in 2016 with the intention of developing a storm land there. Within 80 kilometers of the Laughlin Air Force Base and some of its captain preparation areas, the purchased property included a number of ranches.

A Texas legislation that went into effect in June 2021 put a stop to the task. Texas companies and governments are prohibited by the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act from doing business with Chinese, Russian, Northern Korean, or Iranian companies if doing so would give them remote access to or control over crucial equipment.

The lawmakers are just one of many national legislators who want to combat the threat posed by China to American land.

Sen. Josh Hawley( R-Mo. ) earlier this month. introduced a proposal that would prohibit businesses and people connected to the Chinese government from purchasing or leasing agricultural land in the United States. Existing owners may also sell their rights under the bill in order to avoid fines and legal repercussions. A bill prohibiting China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing or leasing American farmland and agricultural businesses was introduced by Tester and Sen. Mike Rounds( R-S. D. ) last month.