National Security

Chip Roy Introduces Legislation Banning CCP From Buying American Land

(Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Andrew Jose Contributor
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Texas Republican Rep. Charles Eugene “Chip” Roy introduced a bill Friday that would ban members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from purchasing public or private real estate in the United States.

Amber Athey of Spectator World first reported the story.

According to a copy of the legislation obtained by the Daily Caller, the bill directs President Joe Biden to take the actions necessary to “prohibit the purchase of public or private real estate located in the U.S. by members of the CCP.”

The proposed ban extends to Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and any territory the U.S. possesses — in addition to the lower 48, Alaska, and Hawaii.

“All across the globe, China is buying up land and infrastructure to strengthen their quest for global power and dominance,” Roy said in a press release. “The [U.S.] needs to recognize the threat of direct Chinese investment in the U.S. economy and take serious action to prohibit the [CCP] from ever gaining this type of domestic control over us.”

According to a report from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) foreign persons have interests in over 35.2 million acres of U.S. agricultural land as of Dec. 31, 2019. Of this 2.7% of all privately held agricultural land — and 1.5 percent of all land in the country — Chinese investors have a stake in about 191,652 acres (as of Dec. 31).

Roy said in his statement that “This is a huge national security threat. We shouldn’t allow U.S. land to be under the control of U.S. adversaries.”

He further goes on to cite a recent Chinese land purchase in Texas as an example of what he considers to be a “security threat.” (RELATED: Western Businesses ‘Shocked’ By China’s Abrupt, ‘Potentially Irreconcilable’ Anti-Sanctions Law)

A China-based energy corporation bought over 130,000 acres for building a wind farm in Texas near Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, according to information from WTXF-TV. The fact that such an amount of land was bought near a defense facility raised eyebrows.

“The Securing America’s Land from Foreign Interference Act will ensure that U.S. land never comes under control of the CCP by prohibiting the purchase of U.S. public or private real estate to any members of the CCP.”

Securing America’s Land… by Andrew Jose

“If U.S. citizens cannot buy land aircrafts in China, then CCP members should not be able to buy land in the U.S.,” Roy said in the press release.

The bill does not specify, however, what is meant by “member” of the CCP.

At least one in every 15 individuals in China is a Communist Party member, according to information from the South China Morning Post. CCP members range from fishermen, herdsmen, and blue-collar workers to entrepreneurs, intellectuals, and politicians, the outlet reported in 2015.

Roy’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s question on who the bill intended to mean by a “member” of the party, whether it’s all Chinese citizens associated with the party or just the CCP’s top brass.

The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s requests for comment.