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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 MICHIGANDERS CARE ABOUT CCP LAND OWNERSHIP?

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) acquisition of land is accelerating across the U.S. Strategic land near military bases enables surveillance and sabotage, and land near critical infrastructure exposes vulnerable sites like 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. If left open to CCP control, our real property provides nearly limitless platforms for “permanent spy balloons.” 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.

WHAT MILITARY BASES AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE EXIST IN MICHIGAN?

Michigan hosts several critical military installations, including these three significant Air National Guard facilities. The 110th Wing operates from Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, while the 127th Wing operates out of Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Michigan also features the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, one of only four such training centers in the United States.

Michigan is also home to Army National Guard facilities. Fort Custer stands as one of the Midwest's most actively used training sites. Camp Grayling serves as the Michigan National Guard's primary training grounds and holds the honor of being the largest National Guard training facility in the entire United States.

MICHIGAN’S MILITARY BASES HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMPROMISED

In 2023, 5 Chinese students who were enrolled at the University of Michigan at the time were stopped near the grounds of Camp Grayling, Michigan, a military site that was then hosting both members of the United States National Guard and the Taiwanese military in a training exercise. The students were stopped and warned off of the property but were later charged with destruction of evidence, false statements, and conspiracy. While the case is ongoing, this incident shows that any incidental access or proximity granted to military bases or other sensitive sites can easily be leveraged by adversaries to commit acts of espionage.

WHAT CAN MICHIGAN DO TO PROTECT ITS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE?

Michigan should ban foreign adversaries from owning or otherwise controlling property within a close radius surrounding a military installation. States should also ensure that all companies with access to critical infrastructure conduct background checks on employees with significant access to that infrastructure. Finally, states should require the flagging of undeclared transactions, allowing officials and residents of the state to notify the attorney general, and ultimately the federal government, of concerning transactions.