Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced on October 17 that Arkansas is taking a stand against Chinese-affiliated companies owning US farmland. Arkansas will be the first state in the country to force these companies to sell their land holdings. Governor Sanders stated that the state will not tolerate dangerous governments infiltrating the country any longer.
During a news conference, Governor Sanders said, "For far too long, we've tolerated dangerous governments infiltrating our country. Arkansas will not tolerate them any longer. Today, I announced that Arkansas is becoming the first state in the nation to force a Chinese state-owned company to sell its American farmland."
The action is based on Act 636, passed during this year's legislative session, which prohibits land ownership in Arkansas by foreign entities. The Chinese company in question is the China National Chemical Company, which owns the Northrop King Seed Company, a subsidiary of Syngenta Seeds LLC. The land holdings related to the Northrop King Seed Company in Craighead County are valued at approximately $1.12 million.
Syngenta, expressing its independence from Chinese influence, released a statement highlighting its dedication to American farmers. However, in 2016, ChemChina acquired Syngenta for $43 billion, and in 2022, ChemChina was listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as a Chinese military company operating in the United States.
The issue of Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland extends beyond Arkansas. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has positioned itself as an adversary of the United States, aiming to surpass the U.S. as the global leader. Controlling global food supply chains and acquiring American land are part of the CCP's strategy. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Chinese investors' ownership of U.S. agricultural land increased from 13,720 acres in 2010 to 352,140 acres in 2020, totaling approximately $1.9 billion.
To address this issue, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and the House Select Committee on the CCP presented a bill in July to safeguard U.S. land from foreign adversaries. The legislation proposed granting the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) authority to oversee land acquisitions by such adversaries.
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP, stated, "The United States cannot allow foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party and its proxies to acquire real estate near sensitive sites like military bases or telecom infrastructure, potentially exploiting our critical technology and endangering our servicemembers."
Arkansas taking action against Chinese-affiliated companies owning U.S. farmland sets a precedent for other states to follow in ensuring the security and protection of American agriculture.
