Texas businessman Jon Pinkus has called for the United States to implement a policy of "reciprocity" regarding whether Chinese individuals and organizations should be allowed to purchase land in the U.S. Pinkus shared his statement in an August 3 post on X.
"We need a principle of reciprocity," said Pinkus, President. "If Americans can't buy land in China, Chinese can't buy land in America. The same for every country."
According to a report from the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), between 2010 and 2020, U.S. farmland owned by entities associated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) increased from 13,720 to 352,140 acres, valued at approximately $1.9 billion.
Congressman Dan Newhouse introduced the "No American Land for Communist China Act" in June, according to a press release. This bill has 33 cosponsors, including John Moolenaar, the Chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP. The bill aims to prevent any agent or business owned by the CCP from purchasing land adjacent to U.S. federally owned land, thereby shielding national labs, military installations, and land with critical resources from being purchased by people linked to the CCP.
According to Politico, "U.S. states are cutting off Chinese citizens and companies from land ownership." Over two-thirds of states have enacted or are considering laws that limit foreign ownership of land. These laws often restrict land purchases from countries that have hostile relations with the U.S., including China.
Forbes reports that Sun Guangxin, a Chinese billionaire, bought 140,000 acres in Texas between 2016 and 2018 through his U.S. subsidiary GH America Energy, part of the Chinese Guanghui energy company. The land purchase was within 70 miles of Laughlin Air Force Base and was perceived as a threat to U.S. security. Initially, nearby conservationists began a local campaign to protect a local river; however, it "soon escalated into a political maelstrom around national security and foreign investment." This land ownership coupled with his company hiring army and government officials and Guangxin’s personal relationship with authorities in China’s Xinjiang province drew concern from local and national politicians.
Pinkus is the President at Nortex Wholesale Nursery in Dallas, Texas, according to LinkedIn. He is an entrepreneur of a company that sells products for greenhouse growing.
