In a time of heightened tensions between the United States and China, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) has taken a bold stance against Chinese corporations owning American farmland. On Tuesday, Hawley announced he would introduce legislation to ban Chinese corporations from owning American farmland, in response to the Chinese spy balloon that flew over the continental United States for days.

The Chinese spy balloon, which was first discovered by American civilians on Thursday, was shot down Saturday morning while it was over the Atlantic Ocean off the Carolina coast. The balloon had fueled a renewed push from some Republicans to take action against Chinese corporations owning American farmland, with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) also calling for legislation to ban the Chinese Communist Party from buying up land in South Dakota.

Hawley’s proposed legislation would create a state-level version of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review and then block any foreign entity’s proposal to purchase land in the United States. In a statement on Twitter, Hawley said, “What is abundantly clear after Biden’s Chinese spying debacle is that no Chinese corporation should be permitted to own American farmland. I’m introducing legislation to stop it. Protect American farmers.”

A recent Trafalgar Group poll found that 63.4 percent think that “the crisis was mishandled” or “should have been dealt with sooner,” while only 36.6 percent think the Biden administration “appropriately” handled the situation. Additionally, 58.8 percent agree that “Biden should have taken quicker action to shoot down the Chinese spy balloon before it even entered U.S. sovereign airspace,” and 59.2 percent also feel that Biden’s handling of the Chinese spy balloon made “America look weak” on the world stage.

Senator Josh Hawley’s proposed legislation to ban Chinese corporations from owning American farmland is a bold move in the face of increasing tensions between the United States and China. The proposed legislation would create a state-level version of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review and then block any foreign entity’s proposal to purchase land in the United States. With the majority of Americans feeling that the Biden administration mishandled the Chinese spy balloon crisis, Hawley’s legislation is a step towards protecting American farmers and ensuring that the United States does not look weak on the world stage.

Source: www.breitbart.com