A growing concern among U.S. lawmakers centers on foreign adversaries, particularly China, acquiring land near sensitive locations, including Coast Guard facilities and Energy Department laboratories. This issue has sparked calls for immediate reforms to the current regulations governing land purchases.
The Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) recently broadened its jurisdiction to review real estate transactions near 50 military sites. Yet, critical areas such as national labs and maritime ports remain unprotected, creating significant vulnerabilities.
Reps. Greg Murphy (R-NC) and John Moolenaar (R-MI) have urged the Treasury Department to address these gaps. In a letter, they stated, “Coast Guard facilities and Department of Energy National Labs… are thereby vulnerable to foreign adversary exploitation.”
Chinese companies linked to the Communist Party currently own over 384,000 acres of American agricultural land, representing a 30% increase since 2019. This alarming trend accounts for nearly $2 billion in assets, positioning Beijing to exert influence over American resources.
Despite bipartisan recognition of the issue, CFIUS regulations do not retroactively apply to land purchases made before a site was identified as sensitive. This regulatory gap allows previously acquired properties to escape scrutiny, raising alarms among lawmakers.
Murphy and Moolenaar assert the importance of including Coast Guard facilities in CFIUS’s blacklist to safeguard national security. “We cannot allow bad actors to purchase land in America to harm us,” Murphy declared, calling for urgent action.
