Chinese ownership of US farmland no threat to American security, envoy says

China’s top envoy in Washington has rejected suggestions that Chinese ownership of US farmland is a national security threat, saying such claims are “completely unfounded”.

Addressing a soybean industry event in Washington on Friday, Xie Feng, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, said Chinese investors owned less than 0.03 per cent of the total farmland in the US.

“How can it pose a threat to US food security as some have claimed?” Xie said, according to a transcript of his speech published by the Chinese embassy on Saturday.

“Restricting Chinese citizens and businesses from buying farmland is purely an attempt at political manipulation on the pretext of national security.”

“It is completely unfounded, and is aimed at hijacking China-US agricultural cooperation for a few individuals’ own agenda,” he said at an event held as part of the US Soybean Export Council’s global summit.

Xie’s address comes after the administration of US President Donald Trump announced plans last month to expand scrutiny of foreign ownership of American farmland – including by Chinese investors – to assess national security risks.

  

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