China’s richest man, Zhong Shuhuang, and his company Nongfu Spring quietly purchased a commercial building in Nashua, New Hampshire, in the United States. Initially, this transaction did not receive much attention, but when the purchase price was revealed, it raised concerns among state legislators and local residents.
According to the contract registry of Hillsborough County Register of Deeds in New Hampshire seen by “The Keene Sentinel,” a large commercial building in Nashua’s Westwood Park was purchased by Nongfu Spring’s subsidiary “NF North America.” The company documents indicate that the property is expected to be used for bottling water and beverage manufacturing.
Reported by NewsNation, this property is adjacent to the crucial Pennichuck water system in Nashua, allowing Nongfu Spring to use local water to supply the beverage factory.
This news comes at a time when there is increasing concern domestically in the United States about Chinese buyers acquiring American land and infrastructure. Although Nongfu Spring has not yet finalized extraction or bottling plans, its ownership and global strategy have come under strict scrutiny.
Local resident Bob Lozeau told NewsNation, “It’s connected to our Pennichuck water system, taking hundreds of millions of gallons of drinking water from Nashua residents every day, which is very concerning.”
He noted that most people in Nashua were unaware of this before the sale.
Kevin Avard, a State Senator from New Hampshire whose district includes parts of Nashua, also expressed his concerns. “There’s an airport here, there’s the water supply they want to control,” he told NewsNation.
In addition to being near the water system, the property is also close to Nashua Airport, several defense centers, and a Federal Aviation Administration control center.
Lily Tang Williams, a Chinese immigrant running for Congress in New Hampshire and a Republican, told NewsNation that Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s Chinese dream is to use “soft power invasion.” By utilizing everything from business, education, entertainment, TikTok, WeChat, and other applications, they can expand into Western countries like the United States without firing a single shot.
She mentioned that the Chinese Communist Party does not want her to talk about “soft power invasion” or national security issues related to projects like the Nongfu Spring factory. If she talks about this issue in China, she would be silenced.
Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess stated that he still does not understand why Nongfu Spring was willing to pay more than four times the price to purchase the property near the water plant.
“It’s very strange. Why they would do this, I don’t know,” he said.
Donchess also mentioned that he does not oppose the project nor see any national security concerns. However, like many in Nashua, he and others remain puzzled as to why Nongfu Spring would spend such a high price to buy this property.
“Why this is happening, it’s truly baffling,” he said.
Nongfu Spring has not responded to NewsNation’s request for comment.