US congressman proposes bill to stop foreign purchases of US farmland

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Sep 2023 20:31

The proposed legislation is titled the "Safeguarding American Farms from Foreign Influence Act."

Young cotton plants cover acres on a farm in Bolton, Miss., July 13, 2018 (AP)

On Wednesday, US Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer announced the introduction of a bill aimed at prohibiting hostile foreign entities from acquiring farmland within the United States. This action comes in response to concerns about the Chinese Communist Party reportedly acquiring land in proximity to US military installations.

"The legislation would empower the US Department of Agriculture to assist in preventing potentially hostile foreign actors from purchasing agricultural land within the United States," Luetkemeyer said in a statement.

The proposed legislation, known as the "Safeguarding American Farms from Foreign Influence Act," was introduced due to mounting concerns that foreign ownership of such land poses threats to both national security and the US food supply, the announcement says.

Under this bill, amendments to the Defense Production Act would mandate the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to assess whether a national security evaluation is required for any prospective agricultural land purchases, as referred by the US Secretary of Agriculture, the statement adds.

Current US regulations already stipulate that foreign individuals or entities involved in purchasing, selling, or acquiring interests in US farmland must disclose their holdings and transactions to the US Department of Agriculture.

The matter comes to light amid a global trade war the US has been waging against China for several years now, including mounting escalations in the South China Sea where the US is attempting to disrupt China's domestic unity.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden expressed that relations with China's neighbors are not meant to "contain" Beijing or "hurt China"; rather, the goal of the US is to "get the relationship right."

"I don’t want to contain China," he said, using the personal pronoun "I" during a news conference in Hanoi shortly after elevating the US-Vietnam relationship. "We’re not trying to hurt China", he said, speaking collectively, in reference to the country he presides.