A quiet land grab is underway in America, one that doesn’t involve headlines or overt conflict, but carries profound national security implications. Over the past few years, strategically important properties near U.S. military installations have been quietly acquired by entities with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
The first red flags appeared in 2022 when a company called MineOne purchased 12 acres near Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. This wasn’t a typical real estate transaction; MineOne is largely owned by Chinese nationals and immediately began converting the land into a large-scale cryptocurrency mining operation. A national security review was triggered, but the purchase had already been completed.
That same year, a Chinese billionaire, Zhong Shanshan, spent $67 million on 23 acres in Nashua, New Hampshire. The location is critically close to key defense contractors like L3Harris Technologies and BAE Systems, and within a short drive of a Space Force Station. Remarkably, this purchase bypassed the usual scrutiny from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
The pattern continued in 2023 with Fufeng Group’s acquisition of 370 acres near Grand Forks Air Force Base. This base was undergoing expansion to become a hub for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The chairman of Fufeng Group had a documented history of service to the Chinese government, and the company openly acknowledged the Party’s guiding role in its development. Public pressure and Pentagon objections eventually halted this project, but not before significant progress had been made.
Perhaps the most alarming case involves Sun Guangxin, a real estate tycoon and former People’s Liberation Army captain. He spent tens of millions acquiring over 140,000 acres near Laughlin Air Force Base, a critical training ground for U.S. military pilots. Sun’s extensive network includes former PLA generals as advisors and numerous CCP branches operating within his businesses. The land even includes a private runway, positioned strategically between the base and the U.S.-Mexico border.
These acquisitions aren’t always straightforward. A complex web of shell companies and intermediaries, often utilizing U.S. or Canadian residents, is employed to obscure the ultimate CCP connection. This makes tracing the true ownership and intent incredibly difficult, but the pattern is undeniable.
Consider the case of Esther Mei and her husband, Cheng Hu. Through a network of companies, they acquired properties near Whiteman Air Force Base – home to the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber fleet – and Robins and Fort Benning Air Force bases. The purchase of the Knob Noster Trailer Park in Missouri, directly outside Whiteman AFB, is particularly concerning.
While some might dismiss these purchases as coincidental, the couple’s investment choices – remote trailer parks – defy conventional market logic. Their story takes an even darker turn when considering their active involvement with the New Federal State of China, a political movement led by a former Chinese intelligence operative. They’ve been implicated in harassment campaigns and demonstrations targeting dissidents.
Mei and Hu’s financial connections further expose potential CCP influence. They were involved with Urban Select Capital, later Roadman Investments Corp., a firm that actively invested in companies in China and the U.S. This firm established a presence within a PRC-controlled economic zone and partnered with Chinese state-owned enterprises involved in military-civil fusion – a strategy to bolster China’s military capabilities.
Internal records from Urban Select revealed a significant CCP presence within the company, including multiple party members, a National People’s Congress delegate, and staff from a Chinese “united front” organization designed to exert influence abroad. Advisors included individuals from agencies overseeing economic planning and military-civil fusion programs, some with direct involvement in technology acquisition for national defense.
The growing awareness of this threat has prompted action. At least 22 states have enacted laws restricting foreign land ownership, with some specifically targeting individuals from countries of concern. Federal measures have also been proposed, but face resistance.
Despite these efforts, forcing divestment of already-acquired properties remains a significant challenge. A troubling ideological divide hinders progress, with some arguing that acknowledging the national security risks posed by CCP-linked entities is discriminatory. The stakes, however, are far too high to ignore.
