New Bipartisan Bill Targets Chinese Ownership of U.S. Farmland, Real Estate Near Military Bases

Lawmakers push sweeping national security legislation ahead of Trump-Xi summit as concerns grow over Chinese land acquisitions, critical infrastructure, and vehicle technology inside the United States

WASHINGTON | A new bipartisan push in Congress aims to dramatically restrict China and other foreign adversaries from purchasing American farmland, strategic real estate, and, potentially, gaining further access to the U.S. automobile market, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s economic and national security posture toward Beijing.

The proposed legislation comes just days before President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at a high-stakes summit expected to address tariffs, rare-earth minerals, Taiwan, the Iran conflict, and broader geopolitical tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

At the center of the congressional effort is the newly introduced “Protecting U.S. Farmland and Sensitive Sites from Foreign Adversaries Act,” spearheaded by Select Committee on China Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich. The bill seeks to block foreign adversaries — including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela — from acquiring land and property near sensitive U.S. military, telecommunications, intelligence, and agricultural infrastructure.

Supporters argue the legislation addresses long-standing national security vulnerabilities tied to foreign ownership of strategic American assets.

“Foreign adversaries like China have for too long been able to purchase American farmland and real estate near sensitive national security sites with limited scrutiny,” Moolenaar said in remarks shared with Military.com. “This bipartisan legislation closes dangerous loopholes and ensures the United States has the tools to stop these farmland deals before they threaten our security.”

The legislation would expand the authority of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), granting it broader oversight over foreign real estate acquisitions involving farmland, ports, telecommunications systems, and areas near military installations or intelligence facilities. The measure would also formally incorporate food security and agricultural biotechnology into federal national security reviews.

China’s growing ownership footprint inside the U.S. agricultural sector has increasingly alarmed lawmakers from both parties. According to USDA figures cited in reports, Chinese entities controlled more than 277,000 acres of American farmland as of 2023, with ownership levels rising sharply over the past decade.

Much of the concern centers less on total acreage and more on proximity to sensitive defense infrastructure. Lawmakers have repeatedly cited cases involving land acquisitions near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota and Fort Bragg in North Carolina as examples of potential intelligence and surveillance risks.

The legislation also aligns closely with the Trump administration’s broader “America First Investment Policy” and the USDA’s Farm Security Action Plan, both of which emphasize reducing foreign adversarial influence over critical American industries and infrastructure.

In a parallel effort, Moolenaar and Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., announced plans to introduce separate bipartisan legislation aimed at banning Chinese vehicles and automotive technology from American roads.

“Every vehicle on American roads is a rolling data collection device,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “We cannot allow Chinese vehicles or components to be a part of that system.”

The move reflects growing bipartisan concern inside Washington that Chinese-made vehicles, sensors, software systems, and connected technologies could present future espionage, cyber, and infrastructure vulnerabilities as modern automobiles become increasingly integrated with digital communications and AI-enabled systems.

The legislative push underscores how rapidly U.S.-China competition has expanded beyond trade into agriculture, technology, manufacturing, defense infrastructure, and supply chain security.

The timing is particularly notable as Trump and Xi prepare for their first major summit since Trump’s return to office. Analysts expect Taiwan, Middle East instability, trade disputes, and military posture in the Indo-Pacific to dominate discussions amid worsening tensions between Washington and Beijing.

For lawmakers on Capitol Hill, however, the message ahead of the summit is increasingly clear: economic access to the United States is now being viewed through the lens of national security.

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-- By John James

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