Senator Ricketts’ Weekly Column: Stop Communist Spying, Deter Chinese Aggression

Last week, we learned of an incident at Offutt Air Force Base. A Chinese national was arrested and charged with illegally photographing the military installation. He photographed sensitive aircraft like the RC-135 and E-4B. This action puts Nebraska airmen and national security at risk. It threatens Offutt’s critical mission. It threatens our nation. This is a continuing pattern of malicious behavior by Communist China. I see it firsthand as Chairman of the Senate subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy. We know that Chinese nationals have tried to steal our agriculture biotechnology. One Chinese national was sentenced to three years in prison. He had to forfeit purchased farms. His crime was the long-term theft of valuable corn seed in Iowa and Illinois. Two Chinese Communist agents were arrested at the University of Michigan last year. They were trying to smuggle into the U.S. dangerous biological pathogens that could attack our crops. Supposed Chinese tourists have been flying drones around military bases. In 2023, a Chinese national was arrested in California for running an illegal biolab. He was already a wanted fugitive for stealing American intellectual property. He has since been linked to further illegal bio-labs, including one in Las Vegas. At that lab, authorities found samples for HIV and malaria. The Chinese Communist Party also has a policy of strategically buying ag land. As of 2023, Communist China owned more than 277,000 acres of farmland. But it’s not just about the number of acres that they own. They have targeted sensitive sites surrounding Army bases and airfields. That includes Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. These aren’t minor intrusions. This is a serious national security threat. That’s why I’m leading efforts to restrict ag land ownership by foreign adversaries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is responsible for overseeing the foreign purchase of ag land. This authority comes from the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA). I introduced the bipartisan AFIDA Improvements Act to strengthen this foreign ag land reporting process. It increases transparency and information sharing. It would also require an online reporting portal for USDA. These provisions were included in the House Ag Committee’s Farm Bill. I also introduced the Property Location Oversight and Transparency (PLOT) Act. The PLOT Act increases USDA’s oversight of foreign purchases of American farmland. The PLOT Act would lower reporting thresholds to capture smaller foreign ownership stakes that currently go unreported. The PLOT Act also requires foreign purchasers to provide detailed digital maps of ag land purchases. These maps would be available to USDA, local governments, and the public. That way, every Nebraskan knows where foreign adversaries are purchasing farmland. Communist China is the greatest threat to the American way of life. The Chinese Communist Party wants to replace the United States as the sole global power. Dictator Xi Jinping has no problem hurting Americans or Nebraskans in this pursuit. In the Senate, I’m fighting to combat Communist China’s malign influence. We will not permit their spying. We will not accept their aggression. My team and I are here to serve you.  Contact us anytime by phone at 202-224-4224.  You can also view my website at https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/contact .