Gordon Chang, author of "China is Going to War," stated there is an imbalance in the U.S.-China relationship due to an absence of reciprocal privileges. Chang shared his statement in an Aug. 27 episode of Federal Newswire’s China Desk podcast.
"Just for instance, no American may own a square inch of land in China," said Chang. "So why are we allowing Chinese nationals onto our farm and ranch lands where we know they're engaged, many of them, in very dangerous activities? Human trafficking operations on Oklahoma farmland owned by Chinese nationals, illegal marijuana grows all over the place, the spread of the Triads in American rural communities– none of this has to happen. Also, they don't allow our social media platforms in China, so why do we allow theirs in ours?"
According to NPR, China owns 380,000 acres of land in the U.S. Concerns over Chinese land ownership grew in 2021 after a Chinese company bought land near an Air Force base in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
NPR reported that an investigation into a cluster of farms called cannabis "grow" operations in New Mexico revealed businesses that "employ and are managed and funded largely by Chinese people." The investigation found that marijuana has become "big business in the U.S., where about half of states have legalized it for adult recreational use and about two-thirds have legalized it for medical use."
According to ProPublica, "Thousands of Chinese immigrant laborers suffer abuse and exploitation in a U.S. marijuana underworld dominated by Chinese mafias." During raids, inspections, and investigations of over a thousand farms in recent years, Oklahoma state law enforcement found many abuses: "bosses threaten and beat workers, sexually assault them, steal their wages, confiscate their IDs, restrict their movements and force them to work in dangerous heat with noxious chemicals and pesticides."
Forbes reported that China utilizes the "Great Firewall" to regulate its internet space and block access from many foreign websites and platforms. Major U.S. social media networks that are banned in China include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. The main reason for this restriction is to "promote the national interests of China."
Chang is a writer on topics pertaining to China, Asia, and nuclear proliferation. He wrote two Random House Books: "The Coming Collapse of China" and "Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On The World." His insights have been featured in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Commentary, and The Weekly Standard.
