A Chinese company’s purchase of an American farmland near a military base has sparked concerns among US lawmakers who have shot off a letter to the Government Accountability Office, highlighting the security implications of such deals.
Earlier this month, around 130 lawmakers requested the agency to analyse the security implications of the Chinese ownership of US agricultural land.
“China’s ownership of US farmland is a threat to our food security and national security,” James Comer, the Republican member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, said in a press release.
In the letter, the lawmakers called on the GAO to find a potential threat to America’s food supply in light of the purchase and subsequently inform Congress how to “best protect the security of the American people.”
The concerns were raised after a Chinese agricultural company, Fufeng Group, in November last year bought 370 acres (150 hectares) of land in Grand Forks, North Dakota, around 20 kilometres from a US Air Force base, which houses some of the most advanced drones, reports Nikkei Asia newspaper.
Fufeng on its website said that the land will be used for a wet corn milling facility to extract high-value amino acids, lysine and threonine to be used in animal feed. It said that most of the products will be sold in North America.
However, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which is responsible for developing the unmanned aircraft systems at the air base, in a statement had opposed the move and called on the Biden administration to pause the project.
“Chinese business efforts are inextricably linked with Chinese government efforts. We can’t ignore the opportunity for sophisticated military espionage to co-locate itself within a Chinese business of such scale and scope. Given the proximity to critical national airspace and sensitive military operations on and around Grand Forks Air Force Base, American leaders should be very, very concerned,” General Atomics Aeronautical Systems spokesman Mark Brinkley said.
According to Nikkei Asia newspaper, foreign ownership of American farmlands has doubled in the past decade.
Data by the US Department of Agriculture shows that as of December 2020, 37.6 million acres (15.2 million hectares) of US farmland are owned by foreign individuals and entities.
Canada topped the list with 12.4 million acres, or 32 per cent of the total, followed by the Netherlands, Italy, the UK and Germany.
China holds less than 1 per cent of American farmland with 352,140 acres.
(With inputs from agencies)
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