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yesterday

Utah Halts Provo Airport Land Sale to Chinese Military-Linked Firm

The enforcement of a 2023 land acquisition law now compels military-linked firms to divest strategic property or see it sold by the state.

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Companies associated with the Chinese Communist Party have been scooping up farmland throughout the United States. The vast majority, 93%, have been in five of them — Florida, North Carolina, Missouri, Texas and Utah, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (CHARLIE RIEDEL/AP FILE)
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Overview

  • Gov. Spencer Cox blocked on July 15 a proposed sale to Cirrus Aircraft after identifying its majority owner, Aviation Industry Corporation of China, as linked to the People’s Liberation Army.
  • Utah’s Restrictions on Foreign Acquisitions of Land Act bars entities designated under the National Defense Authorization Act from buying property and was expanded in March 2024 to cover firms from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.
  • Owners of restricted land must sell within a year or face state-led auctions conducted by the Division of Facilities Construction and Management with proceeds directed to Utah’s general fund.
  • State officials underscored that blocking the sale shields Department of Defense missions and testing sites in Utah from potential foreign espionage risks.
  • The deal had promised millions in investment and hundreds of jobs, illustrating Utah’s choice to prioritize national security over economic incentives.