Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Tuesday that he has issued an Executive Order prohibiting individuals and businesses from certain nations designated as foreign adversaries from purchasing agricultural land within a 10-mile radius of military installations in the state.
[RELATED: Triad Weed: Illegal Marijuana Grow in China, Maine Busted, 970 Plants Seized, Three Arrested…]
Under the Executive Order, the nations currently classified as foreign adversaries include China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela.
“With heightened concerns regarding ownership of Missouri farm land by foreign adversaries, especially China, we are signing this order to safeguard our military and intelligence assets, prevent security threats to our state, and give Missourians greater peace of mind,” Gov. Parson said in a Tuesday press conference.
“When it comes to China and other foreign adversaries, we must take commonsense precautions that protect Missourians and our security resources,” Parson said.
Parson’s Executive Order expands upon limitations already in place on foreign agricultural land purchases under Missouri state law.
Currently, foreign agricultural land purchases are capped at one percent of the total agricultural land across the state.
Tuesday’s order additionally requires approval from the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) prior to any foreign acquisitions of agricultural land.
Prior to their purchase of agricultural land in Missouri, foreign nationals now must also provide certain information to the MDA, including whether they are a citizen or resident of one of the adversarial nations listed above, whether the acquisition is within a 10-mile radius of a military facility, whether the foreign national already owns other land in the state, whether the acquisition will involve any state or local financial assistance, and any other information the director of the MDA deems necessary.
Parson made clear during his Tuesday press conference that his order will not impact the state’s economic partnerships with foreign allies, including Israel, Sweden, Germany, the U.K., and Japan.
In the last five years, foreign investment in Missouri has totaled nearly $19 billion and directly supported close to 150,000 jobs in the state, according to the governor’s office.
“There are numerous Missouri employers from friendly nations that we have strong economic relationships with, and we must ensure we are not disrupting Missouri’s economy or Missourians’ lives and livelihoods,” Parson said. “Commonsense decisions and a balanced approach must always win, and Missouri must remain open for business to our allies.”
“As such, we believe this order, with the authority we have, sufficiently protects Missouri’s security interests from potential bad actors while not punishing our allies for being good economic partners or upstanding individuals fleeing oppression and coming to our nation legally in search of a better life,” he added.
Parson’s Executive Order comes amid increased scrutiny nationwide toward entities affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) buying American farmland.
Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman from Pennsylvania recently expressed his opposition to the Chinese government and other adversaries owning American agriculture land.
“I hope many of our colleagues agree the Chinese government and other U.S. Adversaries should own zero agricultural land in our country,” said Sen. Fetterman in a September meeting of the United States Agriculture Committee.
“We should take back all of their farmland,” Fetterman said.
The Maine Wire has reported on a sprawling network of properties in rural Maine owned by Chinese nationals that operate as illegal marijuana grow operations.
[RELATED: Triad Weed: How Chinese Marijuana Grows Took Over Rural Maine…]
The Maine Wire’s investigation into the marijuana grows came after an unclassified memo from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed the presence of 270 suspected illegal Chinese grow operations in Maine worth an estimated $4.37 billion.
That DHS memo also stated that the grows are operated by Asian Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs).
U.S. Senator from Maine Susan Collins (R) sent a letter to U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine Darcie McElwee in December regarding the “potential national security risks” posed by the Chinese-owned grows.
“While any illicit drug operation is alarming, this situation is particularly noteworthy given the potential involvement of Chinese transnational criminal organizations engaged in human trafficking, money laundering, and other serious crimes,” Collins wrote.
“This occurs in the context of serious concerns being raised regarding large Chinese land purchases in the United States,” she added. “The potential national security risks are readily apparent.”
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="24381 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=24381">2 Comments
Just do not buy pork producks from the world largest pork packer which is owned by China and located in the USA.
Do you know the Maine Milk bottler which is owned by China?
Maine will never do this,we are ran by liberal madness!