Republican senators have introduced a bill that would ban Chinese citizens from purchasing any land in the United States.
Arkansas' Tom Cotton, Alabama's Katie Britt, and North Dakota's Kevin Cramer introduced the Not One More Inch or Acre Act on Wednesday.
Newsweek has contacted the offices of Cotton, Britt, and Cramer as well as the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C, for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The Republicans appear to be seeking to reintroduce the "America First" initiative under a second term of President Donald Trump and a GOP trifecta government. The bill also raises national security concerns about China, which recently led to a temporary shutdown of the Chinese-owned social media company TikTok in the United States.
What to Know
The Not One More Inch or Acre Act aims to prohibit any Chinese citizen, entity or foreign person acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from purchasing public or private real estate in the U.S.
In a statement, Cotton said the CCP has been "gobbling up" American farmland and real estate for decades. He added that such purchases could facilitate Chinese espionage efforts, particularly near U.S. military bases or American businesses.
Britt added that Chinese purchases of farmland could pose a national security risk, as well as threaten the U.S. economy and food security.
As of the end of 2023, China held 277,336 acres of agricultural and non-agricultural land in the U.S., according to a joint report by the Farm Service Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
This accounts for less than 1 percent of all foreign-held acres in the U.S. The report notes that none of the U.S. land holdings are directly linked to the Chinese government.
The states with the largest Chinese land holdings are Texas (123,708 acres), North Carolina (44,263 acres), Missouri (42,905 acres), Utah (33,035 acres), and Florida (12,798 acres).
Smithfield Foods, a pork producer and food-processing company owned by Chinese parent company WH Group, is the largest Chinese-owned landholder in the U.S., with nearly 90,000 acres across 10 states.
In total, foreign persons held an interest in nearly 45 million acres of U.S. agricultural land as of December 31, 2023, amounting to 2 percent of all land in the country.
Several states, including Florida, have introduced laws and restrictions on foreign ownership of real estate and land.
Cotton had introduced a similar bill in 2023 while Democrats controlled the Senate. That bill died in the upper chamber without going to a vote.
What People Are Saying
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton said in a statement Wednesday: "For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has been gobbling up American farmland and real estate. At best, this submits American land and resources to China's best interests, not America's—at worst, these purchases serve as outposts for Chinese espionage campaigns against American businesses and military bases. We can't allow Chinese citizens, or anyone affiliated with the CCP, to own one more inch of American soil. And any American land exploited by current Chinese ownership should be sold."
Alabama Senator Katie Britt said in a statement: "One acre of American farmland owned by the Chinese Communist Party is one acre too many. The CCP's strategic acquisition of farmland, particularly near our military installations, isn't just a national security risk; it is a threat to our economic and food security. The Not One More Inch or Acre Act provides the necessary authority to safeguard American interests, secure our agriculture industry, and protect our homeland to ensure American farmland stays out of the hands of our adversaries."
Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., told Newsweek in December: "Over the years, Chinese companies' investment in the United States has made important contributions to promoting domestic employment and economic development."
What Happens Next
If the Not One More Inch or Acre Act goes to a vote, it would need the support of several Democrats to pass the Senate.
To clear the Senate, 60 senators would need to back the measure. Republicans currently hold 53 Senate seats, meaning at least seven Democratic senators would need to support the bill.
The bill would also require near-unanimous support from House Republicans due to GOP's razor-thin majority in the lower chamber.
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