Grand Forks, ND Halts Project After Air Force Deems Chinese Company’s Land Purchase a Threat

Kim Jarrett, The Center Square

Grand Forks (North Dakota) will deny building permits for a Chinese-based food producer who purchased land near an Air Force Base, Mayor said Tuesday.

Fufeng Group, a Chinese food manufacturer, announced that it had purchased 370 acres of land to build a wet corn-milling plant. This location is 12 miles away from Grand Forks Air Force Base.

In a letter to U.S. senators. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer of the USAF called for the purchase by a Chinese company of North Dakota land. “a significant threat to national security.”

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In December, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States stated that it didn’t have the authority to comment on the plant. 

“While CIFUS concluded that it did not have the jurisdiction, the Department’s view is unambiguous: the proposed project presents a significant threat to national security with both near-and long-term risks of significant impacts to our operations in the area,” Andrew Hunter, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, wrote a letter to Cramer and Hoven. 

Brandon Bochenski, Grand Forks Mayor, said that the city would not allow industrial infrastructure to be connected to the site. 

“These actions do not affect the land ownership as the company will still legally own the land they have purchased,” Bochenski said in a statement posted on the city’s Website. “The response from the Federal Government during this process can only be viewed as slow and contradictory. This directive leaves open the question of other entities with Chinese connections across the nation, to include Grand Forks’ Cirrus Aircraft site location and Chinese students and professors at the University of North Dakota.”

Gov. Doug Burgum stated that the Air Force letter finally clarifies the state’s position. 

“Given these concerns, we support the decision by the City of Grand Forks to initiate steps to stop the project with Fufeng Group and will support the city in finding another partner for a corn milling operation,” Burgum made the announcement in a press release. “As our farmers who compete in global markets know, agriculture is a global business, and North Dakota welcomes investment from domestic companies and our friends and allies.”

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The Fufeng purchase concerned North Dakota’s southern neighbor. 

South Dakota legislators have introduced a Bill Tuesday that creates a Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States – South Dakota to investigate agricultural land purchases by foreign countries. 

“With this new process, we will be able to prevent nations who hate us – like Communist China – from buying up our state’s agriculture land,” Gov. Kristi Noem stated in a previous statement. “We cannot allow the Chinese Communist Party to continue to buy up our nation’s food supply, so South Dakota will lead the charge on this vital national security issue.”

Syndicated with permission by The Center Square

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