Chinese firms have bought or have begun attempts to buy large plots of land near major US military bases in recent years . Fufeng Group, a China-based corporation, was one of the firms to buy 300 acres of farmland near Grand Forks, North Dakota, in a rural area about a 90-minute drive from the Canadian border .
Beijing, China, November 17: According to American Military News, Chinese companies buying land near a US military base could be part of a pattern of sub-national surveillance and espionage by Chinese companies.Several Chinese firms have bought or have begun attempts to buy large plots of land near major US military bases in recent years.Fufeng Group, a China-based corporation, was one of the firms to buy 300 acres of farmland near Grand Forks, North Dakota, in a rural area about a 90-minute drive from the Canadian border, according to a US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) report released in May, in which it stated that the new Fufeng Group mill will be located on a 370-acre plot of land located about 12 miles from the US military base, According to Nikkei Asia, it also requested that the new filing requirements be updated to identify the source of the investment.Prior to the Fufeng Groups' attempt to purchase up land near Grand Forks Air Force Base, another Chinese company had begun negotiations to buy up around 140,000 acres of land approximately 70 miles away from Laughlin Air Force Base.
The US Air force base houses some of the best US intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, according to American Military News.The 319th Reconnaissance Wing, which is one of the major operators of the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicles at the base, is stationed there.The base will also house a proposed space networking center that would enable US military communications around the world.Recent research shows that foreign ownership and investment in US agricultural land has almost doubled from 2010 to 2020, alarmed lawmakers, who asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to find out the nature of and trends in foreign investment in agricultural land. The United States Air Force base includes some of the most sophisticated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.The 319th Reconnaissance Wing is housed at the base, which is one of the principal operators of the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial reconnaissance units.Sun Guangxin is the owner of a new space networking center that will enable US military communications around the globe.According to American Military News, Sun is a Chinese billionaire with ties to the ruling Chinese Communist Party.The Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act, passed by Texas state legislature last year, prohibits all agreements or agreements with foreign-owned entities related to critical infrastructure in Texas, including the Blue Hills wind farm and any Chinese, Russian, Iranian, or North Korean real estate purchases on US property less than 100 miles from a US military base or 50 miles from military operations areas.