White House National Security Council Strategic Comms Director John Kirby refused to explain why the Biden administration has been allowing Communist China to buy up large tracts of U.S. real estate near key military installations.
When asked Tuesday during a press briefing why Biden was ignoring the national security implications of allowing China, America’s greatest geopolitical adversary, to purchase U.S. land in key strategic areas at the expense of U.S. buyers, Kirby claimed he wasn’t equipped to answer the question.
“I think the question of home ownership is a little bit out of my swim lane,” Kirby responded. “What I will tell you is that the president has been, uh, nothing but clear about our concerns about Chinese unfair trade practices and economic practices.”
REPORTER: “China, foreign buyers, are buying up U.S. real estate, in some cases farms, around military installations. Is this on the administration’s radar?”
KIRBY: “I’m probably not the right person to ask about home ownership…”
REPORTER: “This isn’t about home ownership…”
When further pressed about China aggressively buying up U.S. farmland and real estate near military bases, Kirby obfuscated the issue by framing it as a “home ownership” situation rather than a national security concern.
“I’m probably not the right person to ask about home ownership here in the United States,” he said.
The reporter pushed back again, clarifying, “This isn’t about home ownership. This is about buying up land around military installations…”
At that point Kirby signaled press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to come to his rescue by dismissing the question altogether.
“We can get back to you after. We’re going to move on,” Jean-Pierre told the reporter.
Buyers from the People’s Republic of China purchased $6.1 billion in U.S. real estate in 2021, the most of any foreign buyer.
Earlier this summer, the Fufeng Group, a massive agricultural company tied to the Chinese government, bought 300 acres of farmland near Grand Forks, North Dakota, just down the road from a military base that houses sensitive drone technology.
Experts noted that China’s strategic buy-ups of U.S. real estate could have grave national security implications:
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