Lawmakers are increasingly alarmed about foreign adversaries, particularly China, acquiring land close to critical U.S. facilities, including Coast Guard locations and Energy Department labs. The concern centers around significant security gaps that could allow espionage operations on American soil.
The Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) recently expanded its authority, enabling it to review transactions near 50 military sites. However, this expanded list notably excludes vital infrastructure such as national labs and maritime ports. Reps. Greg Murphy (R-NC) and John Moolenaar (R-MI), who chairs the House Select Committee on China, emphasize that these exclusions present a major vulnerability.
“Coast Guard facilities and Department of Energy labs remain off CFIUS’s list of sensitive sites,” the lawmakers stated in a letter to the Treasury Department. They argued that allowing foreign access to these areas poses a risk to both national security and economic stability.
Chinese companies, linked to the Communist Party, have purchased over 384,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land since 2019, marking a 30% increase. This equates to nearly $2 billion in assets, spreading Beijing’s influence across America’s heartland.
Despite recent efforts to enhance oversight, CFIUS regulations do not retroactively apply to past land acquisitions. As a result, properties acquired before a site is designated as sensitive evade scrutiny. “Xi Jinping would never permit Americans to buy land next to sensitive Chinese bases,” Moolenaar remarked, highlighting the disparity in policies.
Lawmakers are urging immediate action to close these loopholes, which they believe jeopardize U.S. security. “We cannot allow bad actors to purchase land in America to harm us,” Murphy warned.
