U.S. senators have introduced new legislation aimed at combating national security threats posed by malign foreign land purchases near military bases in the United States.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), ranking Republican member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, along with Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Katie Britt (R-Ala.), introduced the legislation, known as the Protect Our Bases Act, on Oct. 24.
Specifically, the bill requires agencies represented by the CFIUS to provide to Congress on an annual basis updated records of the military, intelligence, and national laboratory facilities that should be deemed sensitive sites for national security purposes.
The measure also requires the CFIUS to submit an annual report to Congress certifying the completion of such reviews, specifying whether the new list is up to date and, if not, providing an explanation as to why.
‘Significant Flaw in Law’
At the time, the CFIUS determined that it couldn’t evaluate the transaction for national security risks because the Air Force base wasn’t listed by the Department of Defense as a sensitive site for national security purposes, meaning that the Hong Kong-listed company could effectively proceed with its planned land purchase—supposedly to build a corn mill—despite Washington’s national security concerns.While the City of Grand Forks initially sought to greenlight the project, noting that it would help to generate jobs and tax revenue, it ultimately blocked the transaction.
The Republican senators said the 2022 incident highlighted a “significant flaw” in the review process when it comes to foreign land purchases.
“The Chinese Communist Party can’t be allowed to compromise the security of military and government facilities on our home turf,” Mr. Scott said in an Oct. 24 statement.
“By enhancing the review of foreign real estate transactions near sites that are vital to U.S. national security, this legislation will increase accountability to help ensure the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States can take proper action to push back on Communist China and keep our nation safe.”
Mr. Crapo said in a statement, “Idaho is home to the world-renowned Idaho National Laboratory and military bases and installations responsible for research, development, and training of critical national security importance.”
The legislation is necessary to “protect sensitive military and government sites from encroachment by foreign adversaries on our own land,” he said.
Experts Warn Chinese Firms ‘Exploiting Loopholes’
Mr. Daines took aim at what he said was President Joe Biden’s “weakness on the world stage” that has emboldened U.S. adversaries.“We must take action to protect the United States from potential national security threats,” the lawmaker said. “Purchasing land around sensitive intelligence sites and national labs gives foreign nations increased ability to spy on the United States—it must be stopped.”
Last year, Ross Kennedy, founder of U.S.-based logistics and supply chain advisory Fortis Analysis and senior fellow at Security Studies Group, told NTD’s “China in Focus” that Chinese firms have increased their purchase of U.S. farmland under the pretense of building green energy and agriculture projects—a welcome economic development to many areas of the United States.
However, the expert warned that such companies were “exploiting gaps” in the U.S. infrastructure base and will continue to “exploit every loophole ... every means within their arsenal of tactics and tricks and strategies, to undermine the national security of the United States.”
The expert warned that the locations chosen by the Chinese companies for their projects would allow them to “conduct passive, active intelligence signals gathering, electronic intelligence, counterespionage,” among other activities that could potentially have negative implications for U.S. national security.
States that host military bases and military infrastructure need to take responsibility to tackle the practice going forward, Mr. Kennedy said.
