- A Chinese billionaire acquired land near a New Hampshire defense contractor, raising national security concerns.
- U.S. states are enacting laws to restrict foreign land purchases near military sites amid Chinese investments’ surge.
- Over 100 trespassing incidents by Chinese nationals on U.S. military bases highlight vulnerability.
- Federal agencies expand oversight to include 30 states’ military facilities within CFIUS jurisdiction.
- High-profile cases reveal weak federal enforcement, spurring state-level actions to counter espionage risks.
A Chinese billionaire’s recent $67 million purchase of industrial land near critical U.S. defense contractors in New Hampshire has reignited concerns over foreign espionage risks and spurred congressional calls for stricter oversight. Zhong Shanshan, founder of the top Chinese bottled water company Nongfu Spring, acquired 23 acres just blocks from L3Harris Technologies — a contractor pivotal to Pentagon projects — marking the latest in a growing trend of Chinese investments near U.S. military infrastructure. Lawmakers warn these acquisitions risk compromising national security as China increasingly uses commercial ventures to gain proximity to strategic assets.
The billionaire’s bid and congressional response
The property in Nashua, New Hampshire, bought by Nongfu Spring in January, sits within a 10-mile radius of BAE Systems and less than a half-hour from the New Boston Space Force Station. The sale bypassed review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), despite its proximity to defense facilities and occurring during a presidential transition period. State Rep. Lily Tang Williams, a congressional candidate, toured the site in May, decrying the loophole as a grave threat. “They’re in my backyard — in New Hampshire,” Williams said in a YouTube video. “Please investigate this.”
The acquisition mirrors broader patterns. Texas, alone, hosts 159,640 acres of Chinese-owned farmland near military bases, including Val Verde County’s Laughlin Air Force Base, which trains pilots. Sun Guangxin, a close CCP ally, bought 100,000 acres there, citing wind farm development — a purpose critics dismiss as a cover. “Under the guise of farming, these sites can host surveillance tech,” warned retired Brigadier General Robert Spalding, noting China’s history of embedding spies in commercial ventures.
A decade of foreign land purchases and security cracks
Chinese entities have aggressively acquired land near military installations since at least 2013, when Zhong Shanshan first entered U.S. markets. The USDA reports China owned 349,442 acres of farmland by 2022 — a fraction (0.03%) of total U.S. agricultural land — yet the strategic placement near Camp Pendleton, MacDill Air Force Base and nuclear missile sites alarms officials.
Efforts to counter this have been uneven. The Biden administration’s 2024 executive order shuttered MineOne Partners near Warren Air Force Base, home to ICBMs, while the 2020 interception of a Chinese spy balloon underscored risks. However, 97 Chinese land deals between 2020–2022 escaped oversight, and penalties for noncompliance remain minimal. “We’re being kneecapped by lax enforcement,” said Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC), whose April legislation, the Military Installation Retail Security Act, aims to ban foreign rivals from operating on bases.
State vs. federal tensions over land ownership
With federal action stalled, 24 states have taken matters into their own hands. South Dakota, Texas and Florida now block Chinese entities from buying land near military sites, citing Spalding’s warning about China exploiting local real estate for “economic espionage and infrastructure sabotage.” However, overlapping jurisdictions risk chaos, as seen when the Fufeng Group evaded USDA reporting rules for years before settling fines for its North Dakota farmland purchase near Grand Forks Air Force Base.
The Treasury Department’s proposed rules, expanding CFIUS’s authority to include land within 100 miles of 19 major bases, aim to unify these efforts. Yet loopholes persist: Nongfu Spring’s Nashua sale — processed under foreign property laws unaffected by CFIUS — shows China’s ability to exploit gaps.
The intersection of border security and domestic surveillance
The land-buying crisis mirrors broader vulnerabilities. Recent reports reveal one-third of U.S. southern border surveillance cameras are out of service, leaving gaps China’s operatives have exploited. Over 22,000 Chinese nationals were apprehended at the southwestern border in fiscal 2023 — a 1,200% jump — many suspected of clandestine missions. Meanwhile, drones prowled near Key West’s intelligence hub, and divers snooped near Florida’s rocket-test sites, per FBI assessments. “These are not tourists,” said Ted Cruz, citing China’s “stated goal of replacing U.S. global influence.”
Guarding the gates or closing the barn door?
The Zhong Shanshan case encapsulates a pivotal moment in U.S. homeland security. As Congress debates tighter oversight and states erect barriers, the challenge lies in balancing economic interests with protecting critical infrastructure. With Chinese entities already entrenched near 19 major bases — and eerie parallels to Cold War-era tactics — the clock is ticking. As Spalding warns, “We can’t afford to wait until the balloon’s already over the Capitol.”
Sources for this article include:
TheEpochTimes.com
CounterTerrorismGroup.com
NYPost.com
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