By Staff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Agricultural land in the United States. Wikimedia Commons.
The White House is attempting to ban China from buying farmland in the United States, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new head claims is mostly around some of the U.S.’s military outposts, Voice of America (VoA) reported.
A 2023 report shows that Canada is the top owner of U.S. farmland, VoA said, holding 33% of foreign-held agricultural and nonagricultural land. China, by comparison, holds 1%.
“In the report, the USDA noted that despite China’s relatively low percentage holding of foreign-owned farmland, ‘there is considerable interest in their holdings,’” VoA reported.
The Committee of 100, a nonprofit advocacy organization for Chinese Americans, reported that by mid-December 2024, 215 bills restricting foreign ownership of U.S. property ownership have been introduced in 40 states. Of those, 164 specifically prohibit or restrict Chinese citizens from property ownership or purchase.