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Members of the Senate Western Caucus have expressed concerns over the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) ability to purchase American land. This comes in response to reports that a CCP member owns a plot of farmland in Oregon. The Senate Western Caucus comprises U.S. Senators from Western and rural states.
Senator Cynthia Lummis, chair of the Senate Western Caucus, emphasized, "It is not complicated - the CCP should not own American farmland." The caucus, according to its website, is "a group of Senators from Western and rural states who are committed to upholding the fundamental principles of the West." There are 28 Senators in total who are members of this caucus.
The Daily Caller reported that Chen Tianqiao, a Chinese billionaire and member of the CCP, is currently the second-largest foreign owner of American land. This information was obtained through a review of Chinese-language media reports by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
According to Land Report, Chen owns approximately 200,000 acres of land in Oregon, which includes 33,000 acres in the Bull Springs Skyline Forest.
U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer voiced her concern about this issue to The Daily Caller News Foundation stating, "Foreign ownership of United States lands is a serious problem that has rightfully sparked unease among farmers, ranchers and foresters across the country."
In May 2023, Florida took action against this growing concern by banning the CCP from purchasing farmland within its state borders. Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a press release on his website: "Florida is taking action to stand against the United States’ greatest geopolitical threat — the Chinese Communist Party," He further added: "I’m proud to sign this legislation to stop the purchase of our farmland and land near our military bases and critical infrastructure by Chinese agents... We are following through on our commitment to crack down on Communist China."
Philip Lenczycki, an investigative reporter with The Daily Caller News Foundation, expressed his views on the Federal Newswire China Desk Podcast last year. He said, "I believe that we unfortunately remain quite ignorant of what's occurring and what the motivations are with the Chinese Communist Party."
