Chinese Interest in US Ag Assets Could Pose Security Risks, Federal Report Says
by Noah Wicks (Agri-Pulse) China’s push to achieve self-sufficiency, which has incentivized the nation to purchase, and even steal, agricultural assets in other countries, could present risks to the economic and national security of the United States, warns a report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
The report says China could gain further leverage over U.S. supply chains by purchasing agribusinesses and land in the United States, reduce U.S. competitiveness by stealing intellectual property and create bioweapons using DNA from genetically modified American crops.
The commission is an independent agency that advises Congress.
Despite efforts by the Chinese government to expand production on domestic farmland, the country has struggled to cultivate enough food within its borders to meet its self-sufficiency goals. As a result, it has looked to farmland, equipment and intellectual property in other countries to fill those needs.
“The United States is a global leader in all of these fields, making a prime trading partner and often a target of China’s efforts to strengthen its agriculture sector and food security, sometimes through illicit means,” the report says.
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The Chinese government’s desire to stir further development of genetically modified crops has led to attempts to smuggle biotech seeds out of the United States, which happened in 2016 when Chinese scientist Robert Mo was caught trying to steal seeds from an Iowa cornfield.
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Additionally, the report warns that China could use the genetic codes of American crops to create disease outbreaks targeting American crops.
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The report also questions the accuracy of current information on foreign land purchases collected by the USDA, noting that “the lack of enforcement mechanisms in place regarding false reporting or no reporting at all … raises concerns.” Investors from China held less than 1% of the overall 35.8 million acres of U.S. farmland and forest land under foreign ownership in 2020, according to the USDA.
“It is unclear to what extent USDA conducts field assessments or tracks changes in land use or ownership after the initial paperwork is filed,” the report says. “Chinese firms may easily circumvent current reporting requirements under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act and could repurpose the purchased land with little concern of repercussions from USDA due to the lack of enforcement measures in place.” READ MORE
