Lawmakers must act swiftly as China purchases land near military sites

The Biden administration is turning a blind eye to US national security concerns as Chinese entities have purchased land around 19 military bases across the country, as reported by the Post last week.

The potential dangers are clear: Beijing could use surveillance technology, such as drones or trackers, to monitor activities in and out of bases, enabling spying activities.

The intentions behind these purchases are evident, with figures like Sun Guangxin, a former People’s Liberation Army general with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, owning a significant portion of Chinese-owned US land. In recent years, he acquired $110 million worth of land adjacent to Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas.

Efforts to exploit this land for purposes like a wind farm have been thwarted by legislation like the Lone Star Infrastructure Act in Texas, which blocks business operations associated with “hostile nations” from accessing the state’s energy grid.

Several states, including Texas, have taken steps to regulate foreign ownership of US land, with 15 states passing laws on the subject in 2023 and 20 more considering similar measures this year.

Despite these actions at the state level, questions remain about the lack of action from the Biden administration in addressing this national security threat.

While President Biden recently took action to force a Chinese-owned Bitcoin mining firm to sell land near a military base in Wyoming, more comprehensive measures could address this issue by removing CCP-connected landowners from all farmland near military installations.

Lawmakers have attempted to address this issue at the national level, with bills introduced to prohibit entities associated with the Chinese government from purchasing US agricultural land. However, these efforts have stalled in committee.

Congress must act swiftly to pass legislation addressing this problem, while the Biden administration needs to take immediate steps to counter the slow, systematic infiltration by the CCP.