Senate Republicans launch effort to ban Chinese nationals from buying land in US
Republican senators are taking a strong stance against Chinese ownership of U.S. land with proposed legislation known as the Not One More Inch or Acre Act. This act, led by Sens. Tom Cotton, Kevin Cramer, and Katie Britt, aims to ban China from buying American land entirely. The legislation comes in response to concerns about national security risks posed by Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland, particularly near military installations.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, China currently owns around 350,000 acres of farmland spread across 27 states. Additionally, foreign entities and individuals hold a total of 43.4 million acres of U.S. agricultural land, representing nearly 2% of all land in the country.
The senators behind the Not One More Inch or Acre Act argue that Chinese land purchases could potentially be used for espionage activities against American businesses and military bases. Sen. Tom Cotton, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated, “We can’t allow Chinese citizens, or anyone affiliated with the CCP, to own one more inch of American soil. And any American land exploited by current Chinese ownership should be sold.”
Some states have already implemented restrictions on foreign nationals purchasing land, while concerns have been raised about specific Chinese-owned properties. For example, Smithfield Foods, owned by a Chinese parent company, holds the largest share of Chinese-owned land with 110,000 acres. In a particularly concerning case, a Chinese company purchased 370 acres for corn milling near a North Dakota Air Force base in 2022.
In response to these national security concerns, the Biden administration has proposed a rule requiring foreign entities seeking to buy land within 100 miles of certain U.S. military bases to obtain government approval. Recent incidents, such as the arrest of a Chinese national at San Francisco International Airport for attempting to fly a drone over Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, have heightened worries about foreign interference near military installations.
Efforts to prevent China from acquiring U.S. farmland near military bases have garnered bipartisan support, with Republicans in both the House and Senate expressing alarm about the implications of increased foreign ownership of American land. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who led House efforts to restrict Chinese land purchases suitable for energy production, emphasized the need to protect American land from potential threats to food, energy, and national security.
As the debate over Chinese ownership of U.S. land continues, the Not One More Inch or Acre Act represents a significant step towards safeguarding national interests and ensuring that American soil remains under domestic control.
