symbolic picture
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A Chinese company has purchased a piece of land in Hokkaido, near Japan’s Air Defense Force radar site. In addition, the Fufeng Group has purchased 300 acres of farmland in the US near Grand Forks in North Dakota. After this revelation, more than 130 US lawmakers have written a letter, warning that if the security effects of foreign investment are not studied immediately, then there will be trouble in the future. The letter also included Rap James Comer, a ranking Republican lawmaker on the US House Committee on Oversight and Reform. He has described the increasing ownership of Chinese lands as playing with the national security of the country.
Earlier in January, Sane Takachi, the policy chief of the then ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Japan, also warned his government. According to the Japanese Forestry Agency, Japan’s forestry has seen a 4.7-fold increase in ownership and investment since 2010. In 2021, buyers from Hong Kong, Macao, Australia, Singapore and the US are buying land in Hokkaido. A total of 19 cases were registered. Last month, active-duty officers in the US military, Ryan Ashley and Alec Rice, expressed concern in an article for Nikkei Asia.
General Atomics appeals for action
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems spokesman Mark Brinkley said China’s business is linked to the Chinese government. We cannot allow a Chinese company to exist on such a large scale and within the confines of Grand Forks Air Force Base. The presence of this company cannot ignore the opportunity of sophisticated military espionage. Given the critical national airspace and sensitive military operations in and around this airbase, the US administration should be concerned.