The leaders of the third-largest city in North Dakota have denied a Chinese company a building permit on land near a sensitive U.S. military installation – and a former Air Force strategic missile officer couldn’t be happier about that.
Earlier this week, the city council of Grand Forks voted unanimously (5-0) to strike down a Chinese-owned company’s corn mill project, after the U.S. Air Force said the project’s proximity to the base “presents a significant threat to national security.” The Fufeng Group paid $2.3 million last year to purchase the 300 acres of land just 12 miles from Grand Forks Air Force Base, home to sensitive drone technology connected to space and satellite operations.
Grand Forks has now pulled the plug on the firm’s plan to build a $700 million corn milling and biofermentation plant:
Audio from city council meeting: “Any comments from counsel? Alright – seeing none, we have a motion second on the floor, all those in favor signify by saying Aye! [Aye!] Opposed same sign! [Silence] Motion carries unanimously!”
As Fox News notes, the council’s decision was met with cheers and chants of “USA!” from the public in attendance.
Gordon Klingenschmitt, a former Air Force strategic missile officer, says Fufeng’s connection with the Chinese Communist Party needs to be taken into consideration.
“If they’re still working for the Chinese government [and] if they’re still loyal to the Chinese government, there is no reason that Americans should be approving their permits to take over our infrastructure,” he warns. “Especially in light of the recent Chinese spying scandal and the balloon scandal and other hostile threats to American trade.”
And Klingenschmitt questions Beijing’s motives if land purchases are near a military base. “That’s suspicious to me,” he admits. “And they should not have access so easily to pick up American secrets in the places where they are located.”
In an interview last summer with AFN, national defense analyst Bob Maginnis said the U.S. needs to recognize the Chinese regime has been an adversary for a long time – and that buying up parcels of land in places like North Dakota is just part of their ambition to take over the entire world.
“Any engagement with China should be considered an adversarial engagement,” Maginnis warned. “We need to recognize that if they are buying land, they’re buying it for their selfish purposes to manipulate the United States to their particular agenda.”
He added: “There’s just no end to their ambition.”
Klingenschmitt, who also served as a chaplain during his military career, is founder of the Pray In Jesus Name project.
At least some forms of government take the threat of Chinese spying seriously!
Another reason why all politics are better served like revenge,,,,Cold,,,up close and local, especially when the national one fails to measure up,,,,or in this case even show up for their designed due diligence duty, whose democrat designs look more like a Hunter Biden kindergarden painting, or of Joe double crossing THE PEOPLE, than Washington crossing the Delaware
Poor Joe,,,lost out o his 10% of $7million of laundered money or $700,000 into Joe and Hunters combined bank accounts, which just covers the $600,000 Hunter paid Joe on the Biden Family rent a corruption home. to cover his unpiad millions in legal tax liabilitites, never to be paid by either in money or Jail time like the FBI made Al Capone pay in both for the same crime.
ALL states need to start growing a pair and do the SAME!!!
Those that sold land near military bases to a foereign government need to be investigated for disloyaltt to the country that gave them the freedom to acquire such land. Yes, they should be able to sell to anyone but not to an adversery/hostile government – similar to giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
IF i had the power, those crooks who SOLD those sites/companies to china, would get permanently STRIPPED OF THEIR us citizenship, and kicked out of the nation, TO CHINA.. One way!
Hey Congress! Wake up! No foreign country should be allowed to purchase and own any land in the USA, PERIOD!
TOo many let it happen, because of MONEY!
The Chinese bought Smithfield Foods, maker of pork products, in 2013. The deal never should have been allowed to go through. Not only does a hostile country now own a US food manufacturer, they are located in southeast Virginia, not too far from the Norfolk Navy Base.