U.S. intelligence tracks Chinese military-linked purchases of land near strategic bases

U.S. intelligence concerns are mounting regarding the purchase of strategic US farmland and real estate by former Chinese military officers and other entities linked to China. These purchases are located near sensitive US military, air, and nuclear bases. Furthermore, U.S. farmland owned by Chinese individuals has been discovered adjacent to a U.S. military base housing U.S. nuclear ballistic missiles. Chinese purchases have been observed near sensitive sites, such as Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas, and Francis E. Warren National Nuclear Base in Wyoming.  American military experts have raised the alarm regarding the ownership of two golf courses by a Chinese intelligence officer located near Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, especially because Barksdale is a vital base that controls aspects of what is known as the “American nuclear triad.”

This has fueled American accusations against China, namely that its massive investment in purchasing thousands of acres of farmland and land across the United States, near vital American military and nuclear bases and facilities, has heightened suspicions that Beijing is using them to spy on American institutions, facilities, and military and nuclear bases. This has sparked a wave of American security and military concerns about espionage and the monitoring of Chinese military movements within Washington. This was echoed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who stated that “foreign ownership, particularly by Chinese individuals, of land near strategic bases and American military installations poses a serious threat to American national security.” The U.S. House Committee on China urged as well a stricter oversight of Chinese acquisitions and purchases of American farmland in particular.

A report issued by the “U.S. Department of Agriculture” (USDA) revealed that Chinese ownership of approximately 384,000 hectares of farmland in the United States is significant. While this represents only one percent of all foreign-owned farmland nationwide, it is twice the size of New York City. The USDA identified the most serious issue as the proximity of Chinese-owned land to U.S. military sites, including 370 hectares near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, which houses drones. The Chinese have applied for a permit to build a corn mill just 19 kilometers from the base.

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