Charlie Kirk Said China Has Over 192K Acres of U.S. Land In Its Portfolio But Keep Adding More — 'And No One Seems to Care'

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When farmland becomes portion of a geopolitical conversation, it stops being conscionable acreage and starts raising bigger questions astir control, security, and who gets a involvement successful U.S. soil.

The precocious blimpish activistic and laminitis of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk enactment that hostility into a azygous station connected X that rapidly became a notation constituent successful the statement successful 2022.

"Bill Gates owns 270,000 acres of farmland successful the U.S. China besides conscionable bought 300 acres there, adding to the 192,000 acres of US Soil successful their portfolio …and nary 1 seems to care," helium wrote. "Why bash we let this?"

That line—especially the "no 1 seems to care" portion—captured a interest that went acold beyond 1 woody successful North Dakota.

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The Numbers Then And Now

Data from U.S. Department of Agriculture filings supply the astir reliable snapshot of foreign-held farmland.

Around the clip of Kirk's post, Chinese-linked ownership was commonly cited betwixt astir 192,000 and 350,000 acres, depending connected which reporting model was used. Holdings peaked astatine 383,935 acres successful 2021.

Since then, the trajectory has shifted downward. By 2023, Chinese ownership dropped to 277,336 acres. As of Dec. 31, 2024, it stood astatine 247,659 acres held by Chinese superior investors.

Even astatine that level, the stock remains tiny successful context—less than 0.02% of each privately held U.S. cultivation land.

Foreign ownership wide is acold larger. Combined, overseas investors clasp astir 46 cardinal acres, oregon astir 3.6% of privately held farmland. Canada unsocial accounts for a importantly bigger stock than China.

What That Land Actually Represents

The operation down those holdings often gets mislaid successful the headlines.

Much of the acreage tied to China is not straight owned by the Chinese government. Instead, it flows done companies with varying levels of authorities connection. Subsidiaries of Smithfield Foods (NASDAQ:SFD) relationship for a ample portion, tied to pork accumulation and processing. Other parcels are linked to vigor projects, including upwind leases successful Texas.

New acquisitions person slowed sharply. In 2024, Chinese investors reported conscionable 8 caller purchases.

Some of the astir disposable deals ne'er materialized. A projected task by Fufeng Group successful North Dakota—located adjacent a U.S. Air Force base—was halted aft nationalist information concerns were raised astatine some section and national levels.