The US Republican Congressman Dan Newhouse introduced a measure on Tuesday evening to block companies and individuals affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from purchasing real estate adjacent to federal lands in the United States.
Newhouse, a member of the House Select Committee on the CCP, presented the “No American Land for Communist China Act” with 20 co-sponsors, including the committee’s chairman, Republican John Moolenaar of Michigan.
According to documents obtained by Fox News, the bill stipulates that businesses in which the CCP authorities directly or indirectly hold more than 25% of the shares, or individuals related to the CCP, are prohibited from buying real estate near federal land in the United States.
The legislation defines federal land as land owned by the United States under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, including Indian reservations; lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Defense; and lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture managed by the Forestry Service.
Newhouse told Fox News, “The Chinese Communist Party is right on our doorstep, and it’s best not to let them in.”
He stated that he has been closely monitoring the increasing cases of “CCP attempts to infiltrate American institutions.”
“From monitoring sensitive national security sites to purchasing American farmland, we are obviously vulnerable to their malicious activities,” he said.
He added, “This legislation strengthens our domestic defenses and protects crucial federal lands from being targeted by these foreign actors whose intention is to enhance their already dangerous influence on the world stage.”
In recent years, there has been growing concern that the CCP may attempt to gather intelligence on various military facilities across the United States through land purchases. Washington is concerned that individuals affiliated with the CCP buying such land could pose serious national security risks.
Last year, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) expanded its jurisdiction to include more military bases. The committee must legally consider potential intelligence collection risks related to military facilities when reviewing real estate transactions involving non-US persons.