Arkansas’ Attack on Chinese-Owned Property Is Reckless and Crony-Driven
2023-11-28
Citing national security concerns, Arkansas ordered Chinese company Syngenta to sell off the 160 acres of farmland it owns in the state. The national security concerns are, as will be demonstrated, bogus; however, there may be more crony motivations for this order as well.
An article of mine published in July 2023 by the Libertarian Institute addresses these national security concerns. Walter Block also recently published a piece examining the issue. As it turns out, China owns hardly any farmland in the United States, composing 0.03 percent of total farmland “privately” owned in the US.
Additionally, if China were to use the land for strategic purposes, the US government would not hesitate to seize it. If anything, Chinese land in the US signals a commitment to peace rather than conflict.