China's Latest Land Purchase Could Pose Major U.S. Security Risk (2024)

FAQs

Can the Chinese government buy land in the US? ›

“The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has no business purchasing land near military bases or for agricultural purposes – or for any other reason,” said Rep. Bill Johnson. “It is a critical matter of national security that we prevent the CCP from buying large swaths of American land.

Recent reporting shows that a CCP-affiliated corporation purchased farmland in North Dakota that is just a stone's throw from high-capability military bases. The purchase raises the possibility that the Chinese government could use the farmland as a launching pad for espionage under the guise of operating a business.

Despite that increase, it's still only 0.88 percent of the 40 million acres owned by foreign countries at the end of 2021. Canada accounts for the most foreign-owned land in the U.S. at 31 percent, followed by the Netherlands at 12 percent.

A Missouri Department of Agriculture analysis found that the state total of foreign-owned agriculture land is 0.36%, with China owning an estimated 42,596 acres, and New Zealand owning 16,271 acres. No land in Missouri is currently owned by Iran, Russia, Venezuela or North Korea.

Chinese buyers comprise one of the largest groups of foreign buyers of residential property in the United States. Historically, between 20,000 and 40,000 residential properties were bought by Chinese nationals, but in 2022, both the sales volume and percentage of all foreign-bought properties declined.

As seen in Table 2, when sorted by total land value, the top 10 countries for foreign investors are Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Japan, Sweden, and China.

Is a U.S. military base overseas considered U.S. territory? No. While the U.S. military base may be controlled by the U.S. military via agreement with the host country, the land remains the sovereign territory of the host country.

Do any other countries own military bases on US soil? The German air force (Luftwaffe) operates a large training detachment at Holloman AFB in New Mexico and has had a continuous presence since 1992. Obviously they don't own or operate the entire base, but they have significant assets in place there.

China actually owns a very small percentage — just about 0.9% — of all foreign-owned U.S. agricultural land as of 2021, according to the USDA. But it also says China's agricultural investment abroad grew more than tenfold between 2009 and 2016 alone, to the concern of many in those countries.

The history of federal land ownership has been largely one of divestiture and public use, not acquisition. As the United States expanded across the continent, it did so by purchasing or taking the land that became new states. (Among the groups it took land from were Native Americans.)

Does the U.S. own land in Canada? ›

About 89% of Canada's land area (8,886,356 km²) is Crown land, which may either be federal (41%) or provincial (48%); the remaining 11% is privately owned.

Amazon founder and chairman Jeff Bezos has amassed 420,000 acres in recent years. Other noteworthy farmland investors include Ted Turner and Thomas Peterffy. According to data published by the U.S. Agriculture Department, about 80% of rented farmland is owned by investors who do not farm themselves.

Foreign investors are not allowed to buy land in China. The land in China belongs to the state and the collectives.

With almost 260,000 acres of property, Bill Gates holds the title of the largest private landowner in Missouri.

Since the U.S. dollar has a variable exchange rate, however, any sale by any nation holding huge U.S. debt or dollar reserves will trigger the adjustment of the trade balance at the international level. The offloaded U.S. reserves by China will either end up with another nation or will return back to the U.S.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has bought hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland across the United States, including property immediately adjacent to military bases. These land purchases have let the Chinese advance their economic and national security interests while undermining the U.S.

The best states for farmland in the US include Montana, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, North Dakota, Texas, Iowa, Kentucky, Wyoming, and California. Consider factors like profitability, cost of operation, infrastructure, and availability when selecting a location.

China is the world's largest grain producer, yet has grown more dependent on food imports in recent decades. Much of India's output is produced by subsistence farmers and consumed locally. The U.S. is the world's top food exporter thanks to high crop yields and extensive agricultural infrastructure.

How much of America is owned by foreigners? ›

The report says 37.6 million acres, or about 2.9% of the nation's total farm, ranch and forest land, were under foreign ownership in 2020, the latest year for which data was available.

The Posse Comitatus Act is a United States federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1385, original at 20 Stat. 152) signed on June 18, 1878, by President Rutherford B. Hayes which limits the powers of the federal government in the use of federal military personnel to enforce domestic policies within the United States.

Camp Humphreys

If you travel to Pyeongtaek, South Korea, you'll find the largest U.S. military base overseas. Known as Camp Humphreys, this testament to the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1953 continues to expand while helping maintain peace in Asia. It's still being completed and will reach 3,538 acres when it's finished.

The United States military has bases in over 900 confirmed bases in over seventy countries. The country with the highest number of US bases, 120, is Japan, followed by Germany with 119. After World War II, the US began to establish military bases in these countries to ensure peace during the reconstruction era.

United States Military Bases Worldwide

There are roughly 750 US foreign military bases; they are spread across 80 nations!

The US Missile Defence Base at Redzikowo is home to the Aegis weapons system. According to the US Navy, the Aegis weapons control system was "designed as a total weapon system, from detection to kill".

Companies import goods from China in part because their lower cost allows higher retail markups. That means more of what consumers spend goes to those companies and, indirectly, their workers. Imported goods and services constitute a smaller share of the U.S. consumer market than you might think.

Soybeans. Soybeans accounted for nearly one-half of U.S. agricultural exports to China at a record $16.4 billion, surpassing the previous year's record by more than $2.2 billion. China is the world's largest soybean importer, accounting for nearly 60 percent of global trade and half of U.S. soybean export value.

Indeed, during the past four decades, Chinese companies and investors have bought up land in the U.S. as well as purchased major food companies like Smithfield Foods, the United States' largest pork processor.

What state is 80% owned by the government? ›

The state with the highest percentage of land held by the federal government is Nevada (80.1%); the states with the lowest percentage of land held by the federal government are Connecticut and Iowa (0.3%).

Q: Does the Federal Government ever sell public land? A: The answer is yes. Lands identified as excess to the Federal Government's needs or more suited to private ownership are sometimes offered for sale.

About 52 percent of the 2012 U.S. land base (including Alaska and Hawaii) is used for agricultural purposes, including cropping, grazing (on pasture, range, and in forests), and farmsteads/farm roads.

The answer is yes, foreigners are allowed to purchase property in China! The essential requirement is that you have studied or worked in China for at least one year on a residence permit. Foreigners are allowed to only own one residential property for dwelling purposes.

So can Americans own land in Mexico? Yes they can! Land for sale in Mexico is available for purchase by Americans, Canadians, and anyone around the world considered a “foreigner.”

Nearly 90% is publicly owned by and managed by provincial, territorial, and federal governments. Of this total, 41% is federal crown land. This is the term used to describe land owned by federal or provincial government entities.

The way farmland is utilized as a part of the multibillion-dollar portfolios for wealthy institutions and billionaires should not be overlooked. Not only does it signify an ever-growing concentration of wealth at the top, but this especially holds tremendous relevance due to controlling a vital food source.

The largest real estate company in the USA is Coldwell Banker. Founded in 1906, Coldwell Banker has over 100 years of experience buying and selling homes that they share with the people they work for. It has a total of 3000 offices and even exists in more than 49 countries.

California is the epicenter of Chinese residential investment in the U.S., with 34% of purchases in the state. Other significant hubs are New York, New Jersey, Florida and Texas. In Irvine, population 280,000, “there are 65,000 houses... and 21,000 of them are owned by Chinese.” Lu of Fidelity National says.

Does China have property tax? ›

Local governments are sinking further into debt, but after years of talk, officials have yet to introduce a real estate tax.

Despite regional variations, this policy limits households with local registration (hukou) to own up to two housing units and migrants without local hukou who have been working and paying taxes in cities for more than one year to own only one unit.

After gaining permission from the Vatican, Burhans underwent a comprehensive of bringing the Church into the 21st century. A live database provides a visual of all its land holdings. Conclusion: The Catholic Church owns the most land, far more than McDonald's and billionaire Bill Gates.

A Missouri Department of Agriculture analysis found that the state total of foreign-owned agriculture land is 0.36%, with China owning an estimated 42,596 acres, and New Zealand owning 16,271 acres. No land in Missouri is currently owned by Iran, Russia, Venezuela or North Korea.

Burger King is an American multinational chain of fast-food restaurants that is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

8 Million. (Yicai Global) March 29 -- Antitrust regulators around the world have approved Chinese home appliance manufacturer Galanz Group's acquisition of the Chinese unit of US white goods maker Whirlpool.

China owns roughly 384,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land, according to a 2021 report from the Department of Agriculture.

There are no states with an absolute prohibition on foreign ownership, however, approximately twenty-two states specifically forbid or limit nonresident aliens, foreign business entities, or foreign governments from acquiring or owning an interest in private agricultural land within the boundaries of their state.

Because China is a socialist country, all land is either subject to government ownership or collective ownership. In principle, municipal land is subject to government ownership and land outside cities is subject to collective ownership. However, one can obtain the right to use the land.

Does the Chinese government own the land? ›

There is no private “freehold” land ownership in China. All urban land in China is owned by the Chinese government and is commonly referred to as “state-owned land.” All rural and suburban land is owned by rural collectives (ie, local groups of farmers) and is commonly referred to as “collective land.”

Vilsack said in a Thursday Senate hearing that Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea together own under 400,000 acres of agricultural land as of 2021.

Existing Federal Requirements

Current federal law imposes no restrictions on the amount of private U.S. agricultural land that can be foreign-owned. Federal law, however, requires foreign persons and entities to disclose to USDA information related to foreign investment and ownership of U.S. agricultural land.

Foreign investors are not allowed to buy land in China. The land in China belongs to the state and the collectives.

China owns and controls almost 192,000 acres of farmland right here in the United States. To be clear, it's not a huge percentage of our total farm acreage by any stretch. According to the FDA, there are more than 35 million acres of farmland in the U.S. which are owned by foreign investors.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a series of bills that, among other measures, limit Chinese nationals from purchasing land in the state.

May 22 (Reuters) - A group of Chinese citizens living in Florida sued the state on Monday to strike down a new law that would bar citizens of China and several other countries from owning homes and land in the state.

The law is set to take affect July 1. It will be a felony for Chinese people to buy property in restricted areas or for any person or real estate company to knowingly sell to restricted people. For the other targeted nations, the penalty is a misdemeanor for buyers and sellers.

According to Russian law, foreigners are usually allowed to purchase or rent property in Russia, but certain exceptions apply. Also, in order to be allowed to buy a property, the foreign citizen must hold a valid Russian resident permit.

China and Japan have a territorial dispute over a group of uninhabited islands known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, the Diaoyu Islands in the People's Republic of China (PRC), and Tiaoyutai Islands in the Republic of China (ROC or Taiwan).