Commentary: China’s Land Grab

Farmland

At both the federal and state levels, elected leaders are paying more attention to national security threats stemming from Chinese-owned real estate in the United States.

The totality of Chinese-owned real estate in the United States remains unknown and, under current law, is unknowable. For agricultural land, Chinese-owned acreage reportedly only constitutes a small share of the United States’ total, but has increased rapidly in recent years, suggesting a growing threat that would best be managed now before it turns into a significant problem.

Read More

Analysis: The Future of Georgia’s Foreign Ownership Land Ban

Georgia Land

Georgia lawmakers have passed legislation that ostensibly bans “foreign adversaries” from owning agricultural land or property near a military base or airport, but one expert said it’s not clear the measure can stand up to judicial scrutiny.

Proponents say they crafted Senate Bill 420 in response to a Department of Agriculture report from 202 that found that China had roughly 384,000 acres of agricultural land across the country, a 30% increase from 2019 to 2020.

Read More