Sen. Kevin Cramer: China farmland purchase near Air Force base 'problematic'
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., on Chinese company buying farm land near U.S. Air Force base.
After a Chinese company purchased farmland in North Dakota, Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer sounded the alarm Tuesday about how "problematic" the deal is, stressing its proximity to a U.S. Air Force base.
"It’s 370 acres near Grand Forks, which is in the heart of the Red River Valley. In other words, it’s very productive farmland," said on "Fox & Friends."
Cramer said the military facility houses sensitive drone technology connected to space and satellite operations.
"Proximity both to important farmland and an important air base makes this particularly problematic," he told Brian Kilmeade.
CHINESE AUTHORITIES APOLOGIZE FOR COVID-19 BREAK-INS
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a commendation ceremony for role models of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics at the Great Hall of the People on April 8 in Beijing. An Australian man provoked anger from supporters of Xi by holding a sign at a Sydney marker insulting the communist leader. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Fufeng Group, which specializes in flavor enhancers and sugar substitutes, is reportedly planning to use the land for a $700 million corn milling plant and it would create at least 200 jobs as well as residual opportunities for logistics, trucking, and other services.
However, U.S. military officials, lawmakers and locals have expressed concerns about the national security risks, including for espionage.
Cramer said he is very concerned and has been opposed to the purchase from the beginning, asking for further review by the federal government.
"I'm more broadly concerned about the fact that China is able to come in and continually make investments and buy property, enter into our supply chain, our food supply chain right here in the United States," said Cramer, noting how reliance on China affected the country during the pandemic.
Top Biden administration intelligence officials have been sounding the alarm on the threat China poses for months.
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In March, the intelligence community annual threat assessment warned that China is increasingly a "near-peer competitor, challenging the United States in multiple arenas – especially economically, militarily and technologically – and is pushing to change global norms and potentially threatening its neighbors."
China warned that the United States is "the biggest threat to world peace, stability and development" Thursday, after top U.S. intelligence community officials warned this week that Beijing poses the "biggest long-term threat to economic and national security" to America and Western allies.
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.