China Owns a Dangerous Amount of American Land

What's going on? China has bought $6.1 billion worth of American soil, making it the most significant foreign land buyer in the United States. Chinese companies linked to the Communist Party bought land near two of the largest Air Force bases in North Dakota and Texas.

Why does it matter? The U.S. government banned Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company, when the FBI found that Huawei could disrupt Department of Defense communications, including those from the force that oversees U.S. nuclear weapons. Huawei still owns cell towers near military bases in the Midwest.

Is it legal? Yes and no. There is no current federal legislation that prohibits the purchase of land near military bases. However, states like Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas have banned the purchase of land by China.

Is anything being done? This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order banning state and local governments from using technology controlled by China. Federal legislation has been introduced to ban land purchases within 50 to 100 miles of U.S. military bases by anyone associated with the People's Republic of China.

Big picture:  The Chinese purchase of U.S. and Japanese soil near military bases could be a national security concern. While the federal government has made little progress in addressing these issues, states like Florida under DeSantis are taking the initiative.