Republicans Taking Away Land From Who?

Legislators in North Carolina are implementing stricter regulations on the acquisition of American agricultural land by foreign investors.

According to Fox, North Carolina’s House of Representatives has granted unanimous approval to a proposed legislation that prohibits hostile foreign nations, such as China, and state-owned entities from purchasing agricultural land or any property located within 25 miles of a military base. This bill will now proceed to the state Senate, rendering North Carolina one of the most recent states to adopt stringent measures against foreign investments.

According to Jennifer Balkcom, a Republican State Representative and co-sponsor of the bill with North Carolina House Majority Leader John Bell, the conversation of drafting this legislation was initiated by the spy balloon and the perceived security threat it posed to North Carolina while it was in flight.

Jennifer Balkcom further stated that their intention is to safeguard the agricultural land in North Carolina to the best of their ability, and this bill is merely a mechanism available to assist them in achieving that objective.

Last week, Gordon Chang, a China specialist and senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute, expressed similar apprehensions during an appearance on “Mornings with Maria” on FOX Business.

During his conversation with Maria Bartiromo on Wednesday, Gordon Chang emphasized the need to be wary of Chinese investments in the agricultural industry.

Chang explained, “You remember a couple of years ago, China was sending in invasive species seeds into the United States, unsolicited. Now, if the Chinese were to own more and more agriculture, they could very well plant those seeds and actually blight America’s food production.”

According to the National Agricultural Law Center, as of this month, 11 states have contemplated prohibiting Chinese investments in American agricultural land. Of these, four states – Arkansas, Idaho, Utah, and Virginia – have enforced restrictions, while the legislatures in Montana and North Dakota have passed similar measures, as per the center’s records.