January 31, 2025
Chinese Communist Party Land Ownership is a Threat to Idaho’s Critical Infrastructure
WHAT IS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE?
Critical infrastructure is any asset that, if incapacitated, would have a debilitating effect on national security, economic security, or public health. Examples include gas and oil pipelines, electrical power grids, military installations, telecommunications facilities, and public transportation systems.
WHY SHOULD IDAHOANS CARE ABOUT CCP LAND OWNERSHIP?
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) acquisition of land is accelerating across the U.S. Acquisition of strategic land near military bases enables surveillance and sabotage of our Armed Forces, and acquisition of land near critical infrastructure exposes vulnerable sites—power, natural gas, petroleum, and water treatment facilities—to physical assault. In 2023, a CCP spy balloon traversed the entire continental United States, including over our most sensitive military bases. According to U.S. Air Force Major Jeremy Fox, land near military bases may be used for espionage, including intercepting military communications between unmanned air systems and space-based assets. If left open to CCP control, our real property provides nearly limitless platforms for “permanent spy balloons.”
WHAT MILITARY BASES AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE EXIST IN IDAHO?
Mountain Home Air Force Base (MHAFB), located in southwestern Idaho, is home to the 366th Fighter Wing whose mission is to offer combat airpower and support in global contingency operations. Boasting three fighter squadrons, the “Gunfighters” operate over fifty F-15E Strike Eagle aircrafts. Currently, the base hosts approximately 5,100 military and civilian members as well as 3,500 family members. MHAFB provides a tremendous strategic advantage both at home and abroad, due in part to its reinforced connection to the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
WHAT CAN IDAHO DO TO PROTECT ITS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE?
Idaho should ban foreign adversaries from owning or otherwise controlling property within a close radius surrounding a military installation. It should also ensure that all companies with access to critical infrastructure conduct background checks on employees with significant access to that infrastructure. Finally, it should require the flagging of undeclared transactions, limiting the number of undeclared transactions that can lead to foreign ownership of land near strategic U.S. land/infrastructure.