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FBI Director Kash Patel is tackling China’s influence on American farmland head-on, both as a food supply and national security concern.
Patel’s focus on China’s impact on American land, particularly farmlands near sensitive areas, reflects the Trump administration’s push for a broader second term to confront the Chinese Communist Party’s presence in the US soil. The effort has gained traction between Republican lawmakers and conservative allies, saying that land ownership associated with the CCP poses a direct threat to national security and critical infrastructure.
“FBI Director Kash Patel has mistakenly made CCP interference and penetration in the US an uncompromising priority,” Patel Advisor Erica Knight told Fox News Digital.
“His unparalleled experience in counter-terrorism and intelligence has made Patel a deep understanding of the serious threats our country faces,” Knight said. “His expertise and unwavering determination make him uniquely equipped to shatter CCP penetration and guide the Bureau to protect American national security.”
The US border, which has been attracting attention as a vulnerability by Russia’s China, says Patel “the enemy will adapt.”
FBI Director Kash Patel has taken China’s influence on American farmland head-on as a food supply and national security concern. (Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Patel recently told lawmakers that an “effective resolution” on the tropical border crisis has urged enemies such as China, Russia and Iran to shift their focus to the borders of the Northern US.
When the administration focused on China on a second term, President Donald Trump was asked by Air Force 1 on Thursday what the White House was doing about China-owned farmland.
Trump said he “watches it all the time,” adding that he “has a very good relationship between China and the president.”
“I have a lot of respect for President XI,” Trump said.
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Trump stressed that China-owned farmland was “a problem for years.”
At FOX News Op-Ed in February, Ric Grenell, the president’s envoy for special missions, raised concerns about the right side of China’s owned farmland, calling it a part of the “not so clever acquisition.”
With the administration’s strengthening its second term focus on China, President Donald Trump was asked on Thursday how the White House is working on China-owned farmland on Air Force 1. (Royriu/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Conservative legislators and governors across the country are taking action to stop hostile countries from purchasing US farmland, but we must recognize that there is a wider problem here. China’s ultimate goal is not limited to land ownership,” Grenell wrote.
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Capitol Hill lawmakers are already beginning to take action. In early March, Senator Minecround (Rs.D.) introduced the pass law in the Senate. This will prohibit the purchase of farmland near the entities of “target countries” (including China) (military bases and other sensitive locations).
The democratically supported law also allows the Department of Agriculture to file a lawsuit with the US Foreign Investment Committee for review if it suspects of a national security concern.
Patel emphasizes that as he leads the agency, its number one priority for him is eradicating China’s influence on US soil. (Anna Money Maker/Getty Images)
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Similarly, Republican senators in January announced an even more inch or acre act led by Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, and Katie Britt of Alabama.
The Act requires that the Chinese Communist Party sell or “affected” land owned or “affected” by the Chinese Communist Party, which is considered a national security risk.
Morgan Phillips and Michael Lee of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
Haley Chi-Sing is a political writer for Fox News Digital. You can contact her at X at @haleychising.
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