The North Carolina House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill on Wednesday prohibiting state-owned companies and hostile foreign nations like China from purchasing farms or any other land near a military installation.
The 114-0 vote came amid mounting concern over national security after the Chinese spy balloon recently flew over the state’s military bases before being taken down off the South Carolina coast.
The measure, which will be headed to the state Senate, stipulates that an “adversarial foreign government,” as defined by the U.S. Secretary of State, would be prohibited, starting in 2024, from purchasing, leasing, or holding an interest in land used for agricultural production purposes or land located within a 25-mile radius of an installation. Such a transfer of land would be void….