US-China Confrontation Prelude
MineOne Partners-Owned Land
Forced Sale Order Within 120 Days
The United States has issued a forced sale order for land owned by a Chinese company near its missile base, citing a significant threat to national security. This move comes as the U.S. administration is on the verge of imposing comprehensive tariffs on Chinese products, leading to assessments that it represents a ‘prelude’ to the escalating confrontation between the U.S. and China during the final phase of the Joe Biden administration.
On the 13th (local time), major foreign media including the AP reported that President Biden issued a forced sale order for land owned by the Chinese cryptocurrency mining company MineOne Partners located within a one-mile (1.6 km) radius of the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. The deadline is within 120 days. Additionally, a removal order was issued for certain equipment operated by MineOne Partners.
According to foreign media, the Francis E. Warren Base is a strategic missile base where some of the United States’ intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are deployed, and part of MineOne Partners’ shares are reportedly owned by the Chinese government. Combining explanations from the U.S. Treasury Department and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), special and foreign-procured equipment capable of surveilling the U.S. and facilitating espionage near strategic facilities posed a significant risk to national security.
Recently, numerous state government bills have emerged across the U.S. prohibiting hostile nations from owning land near critical domestic infrastructure. These measures are effectively targeted at China. According to Politico, last year, 15 states including Florida passed laws banning land ownership by hostile nations, and this year, more than 20 states are either enacting or amending laws to restrict foreign land purchases.
Some argue that there is no concrete evidence that Chinese land ownership threatens security and that the measures are intended to curb Chinese companies’ entry into the U.S. market. The New York Times (NYT) explained, “After the Chinese-American company Fufeng USA announced plans to build a corn processing plant in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 2021, it faced backlash, sparking a movement among state governments to impose investment restrictions.”
Foreign media are focusing on the fact that this forced sale order was issued amid the imminent announcement of new tariffs on Chinese products in strategic industries such as electric vehicles. President Biden is scheduled to announce new tariff measures on a wide range of products including Chinese electric vehicles, batteries, semiconductors, solar power equipment, and medical devices on the 14th.
As China has also signaled corresponding retaliatory measures, an escalation of the U.S.-China trade war appears inevitable. In an interview with Bloomberg TV released on the same day, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said, “China may take retaliatory actions,” adding, “We do not want to sever economic ties with China, but the playing field must be fair.”
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