A day after Trump officials said he may take executive action and work with states to ban U.S. land sales to China and other foreign adversaries, the president dismissed concerns about Chinese businesses buying farmland near military bases nationwide.

During a multilateral lunch with African leaders at the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump was asked why he believes "the Chinese have been buying up all this farmland in our country, so close to military installations."

"I don't want to get into that," Trump initially said in a clip shared on X by journalist Aaron Rupar. "I have a very good relationship with President Xi," he added, noting that Chinese officials would be "making a recommendation" to him.

"But we have a very good relationship," he repeated. "As you know, they're paying a lot of tariffs to the United States now, so I'm not going to get into that right now," he said.

At a joint news conference Tuesday with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem, U.S. Department of Agriculture Chief Brooke Rollins announced the federal government will move to ban the sale of American farmland to buyers tied to China and other foreign adversaries, such as Russia and Iran, citing national and food security concerns, The Washington Post reported.

Rollins said the USDA will work closely with state legislators to enact laws prohibiting further purchases, particularly near military bases, and confirmed that an executive order from the White House is likely to follow "very soon."

When asked whether the government would seek to reclaim land already owned by Chinese investors, she said they are considering "every available option" as part of a broader effort.

"With this announcement today we are taking this purpose and our American farmland back," Rollins declared. "American agriculture is not just about feeding our families but about protecting our nation and standing up to foreign adversaries who are buying our farmland, stealing our research and creating dangerous vulnerabilities," she added.

Despite the Trump administration's claims, Chinese investment in U.S. farmland has declined sharply in recent years, falling 31% since 2021 and now accounting for just 0.00003% of total farmland, according to The Washington Post. USDA data revealed China-linked investors currently own about 265,000 acres, which is mostly tied to a single company, Smithfield Foods, which was acquired in 2013 by Chinese conglomerate WH Group.

Originally published on Latin Times

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