(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Chinese-language news reports that were reviewed by the Daily Caller indicated that the second-largest foreign landowner in the U.S. is a Chinese billionaire who is also a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
According to Land Report, Chen Tianqiao, the founder, chairman and CEO of global investment firm Shanda Group, owns approximately 200,000 acres of land in the state of Oregon.
The Caller also revealed that, in addition to that, Chen also has extensive ties to the Chinese government, ranging from CCP membership to executive roles in CCP-affiliated organizations.
Land Report wrote that Chen acquired 198,000 acres in Oregon back in 2015. After purchasing the territory for $85 million, he became the 82nd-largest property owner in the U.S. and the second-largest foreign U.S. land owner. The first-largest foreign U.S. land owner is not even a person but a Canadian family that owns over 1 million acres in the state of Maine.
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R–Ore., responded to the news by saying that she was “deeply concerned that individuals tied to the Chinese Communist Party are buying up timberland, which is one of our most precious and finite resources.”
“Foreign ownership of United States lands is a serious problem that has rightfully sparked unease among farmers, ranchers and foresters across the country,” Chavez-DeRemer informed the Caller.
In addition to owning land in Oregon, Chen also owns several urban properties in the U.S., among which are the Vanderbilt Mansion in Manhattan, the Seeley Mudd Estate near Los Angeles and a 150,000 square-foot research facility at the California Institute of Technology that is called the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience — each worth tens of millions of dollars.
“One of the Chinese Communist Party’s goals is to undermine and weaken America. This includes instances where our greatest adversary continues to buy land — whether it’s farmland or near our installations,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said.
