Congressman Ryan Zinke (R-MT) stated he introduced the No American Land for Communist China Act to address Chinese purchases of U.S. farmland. Zinke shared his statement in a June 12 post on X.
"Today I joined @RepNewhouse to introduce the No American Land for Communist China Act," said Zinke. "China has strategically purchased land near military sites & sensitive national security areas to spy on us and our farmland to undermine food security. This needs to stop now."
According to a press release, Zinke co-sponsored the bill alongside Chairman John Moolenaar of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other select committee members. The legislation would prohibit entities linked to the CCP from buying land situated near federally-owned land. "There is no world in which the Chinese Communist Party would allow Americans to buy vast swaths of farmland next to its military bases," Moolenaar said. "We need to protect our farmland and ensure our largest adversary cannot own land near sensitive U.S. military bases."
According to Foreign Policy, MineOne, a Chinese-backed cryptocurrency mining company, had purchased land in Wyoming a mile away from a U.S. Air Force base that houses nuclear weapons. The U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) investigated the situation after they received a "public tip" about the proximity of the land ownership, which led to the Biden Administration issuing an order to force MineOne to divest the land in May.
The Federalist reports that the CCP tends to buy agricultural farmland in the U.S. for four main reasons: food security, intellectual property, espionage opportunities, and biological warfare. The last two reasons pose a threat due to a trend of Chinese-backed agricultural properties within close proximity of U.S. military installations, opening up potential opportunities for observation and espionage. There are also concerns about biological warfare, as agricultural ownership could allow for the fast spread of pathogens.
Zinke has served Montana's first congressional district since 2014 and has served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior between noncontiguous terms, according to his website. His policy tends to focus on energy, conservation, tribal and military issues. Zinke is a U.S. military veteran and has previously served in the Montana State Senate.
