Written by Alexandra Alper and David Ljungren
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House on Monday ordered a Chinese company and its partners to purchase property near a U.S. Air Force base in Wyoming where some of the nation’s nuclear weapons are located, citing espionage fears. He gave them 120 days to sell the item. .
The move comes as the United States becomes increasingly concerned about the national security risks posed by Chinese-led purchases of American property near sensitive military sites.
According to the White House, Chinese-owned MineOne Partners Limited partnered with other companies to purchase real estate for cryptocurrency mining in June 2022.
The facility is located less than a mile from Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, where some of the United States’ intercontinental ballistic missiles are deployed.
“The foreign-owned property’s proximity to strategic missile bases and key elements of the U.S. nuclear triad, as well as foreign-supplied specialized equipment that could potentially facilitate surveillance and espionage. “The presence of states poses a national security risk to the United States,” the White House said in a statement.
MineOne Partners did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reuters reported in 2022 that the Biden administration was investigating Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei. There are concerns that U.S. cell phone base stations equipped with the company’s equipment could collect sensitive information from military bases and missile silos, and that the company could send it to China.
The MineOne Partners deal was reviewed by CFIUS, a powerful Treasury-led committee that scrutinizes foreign investments in the United States for national security risks.
The 2018 law expanded CFIUS’ authority to review foreign acquisitions of certain non-controlling investments in U.S. real estate transactions that raise national security concerns.
Monday’s move “ensures that foreign investment does not undermine our national security, especially when it involves transactions that pose a risk to sensitive U.S. military facilities or involve specialized equipment or technology. “This highlights the important gatekeeping role that CFIUS plays.” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren and Alexandra Alper; Writing by Paul Grant; Editing by Eric Beech, Jonathan Oatis, Bill Berkrot)
