No, China Isn’t Gobbling Up America’s Farms

Amid escalating suspicions about China, officials across the US are seeking to block foreigners from purchasing tracts of farmland, for fear they might be used for espionage or to threaten America’s food supply. Policymakers have a responsibility to guard against potentially malign foreign investments. But banning Chinese nationals from buying property in the US makes little sense.

There are no federal rules restricting foreign ownership of US farmland, but the government has the power to scrutinize deals that might compromise the security of military bases or critical infrastructure, such as the electricity grid. Some states and cities have also taken action on their own. Earlier this year, after Air Force officials raised concerns about a proposed Chinese-owned corn mill in Grand Forks, North Dakota, near a US air base, local officials nixed the project. A parallel case took place in 2021, when a company owned by a former mid-level Chinese army officer aimed to build a wind farm near a Texas air base. That prompted the state to ban any Chinese, Iranian, North Korean and Russian companies from tying into its power grid.