Across the United States, there is an ongoing trend of legislation being passed in various states cracking down on attempts by Chinese citizens and companies to purchase American land.
According to Politico, over two-thirds of U.S. states have either passed such laws or are considering passing such laws. The majority of these states are controlled by the Republican Party, which is known for being more hawkish on China than the Democratic Party.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) described China as “an enemy” during a hearing of the state legislature’s House Committee on Agriculture last month.
“They are buying up our entire food supply chain and when America can’t feed itself and we rely on another country to feed us it becomes a national security issue,” said Noem, who has already signed a bill into law that forbids China and five other foreign nations from purchasing farmland in South Dakota.
Other states, such as Texas and Florida, have passed similar legislation, in response to Chinese-owned entities purchasing or attempting to purchase American land, often farmland, and frequently in close proximity to American military bases.
Such bills are due in large part to the fact that foreign land purchases “are not being adequately controlled by the federal government, so states are acting on their own,” according to Indiana State Representative Kendell Culp (R-Ind.), who himself introduced such a bill. His legislation, which bans farmland purchases by five foreign countries and entities connected to them, was passed by the State Senate last month.
“Concern about China exceeds that of the other four countries,” said Culp, whose bill also lists nations such as Iran and North Korea.
There are currently more than 20 states in the process of passing such bills into law, after 15 states passed similar legislation in 2023, according to the National Agricultural Law Center.
Chinese covert espionage efforts in the U.S., including the purchasing of strategically-located American farmland, is likely to play a role in the broader debate over foreign policy with regards to the Communist powerhouse in the coming presidential election. President Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s nominee once again, has vowed to crack down on Chinese trade practices if he returns to office. Among other measures, he has suggested implementing a 60% tariff on all Chinese goods if he is re-elected.