US will ban Chinese nationals from buying farmland over national security

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Chinese nationals and other foreign adversaries will no longer be allowed to purchase farmland in the country, citing threats to national and food security.

On Tuesday, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins made the announcement during a press conference, where she was joined by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Republican governors from Arkansas, Nebraska, and Tennessee.

"Today we are taking this purpose and our American farmland back," Rollins said. "American agriculture is not just about feeding our families but about protecting our nation and standing up to foreign adversaries who are buying our farmland, stealing our research and creating dangerous vulnerabilities in the very systems that sustain us."

She said the USDA had already cancelled seven active agreements with foreign countries of concern and removed around 70 people who were involved in those contracts.

NATIONAL PLAN TO SAFEGUARD AGRICULTURAL LAND

The announcement was part of the Trump administration's new initiative called the Farm Security Action Plan. This plan aims to "claw back" farmland that has already been purchased by people or groups that pose a national security risk. It will also ensure that future buyers are closely examined before they can purchase any agricultural land in the US.

Rollins said the administration will no longer allow "sweetheart deals and secret pacts" with companies that may harm national interests.

"Agriculture supply chain is essential for our nation’s security," Rollins added. She said the USDA is working with several departments -- including Treasury, Defence, Homeland Security, and Justice, as well as state and tribal governments -- to ensure farmland remains in safe hands.

Attorney General Pam Bondi also spoke during the press conference. She assured the public that law enforcement would do its part to protect US farmland.

"The Department of Justice will use every tool at our disposal to secure, defend, and protect our AG Community from threats," Bondi said.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the Pentagon would be monitoring land ownership near military bases to ensure there are no foreign threats.

"No longer can foreign adversaries assume we’re not watching," Hegseth told reporters.

This comes months after Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders introduced legislation to stop companies linked to the Chinese Communist Party from leasing or buying land near sensitive locations like military bases or electric substations.

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