Chinese land acquisitions in the United States continue to aggravate tensions between the two nations. Historically tied to the PRC and headquartered in Hong Kong, WH Group acquired the United States’s largest pork producer, Smithfield Foods, in 2013. The purchase put almost 150,000 acres of US land under WH Group’s control.

Frequently, others ask me, can PRC agents use Smithfield’s land positions to spy on US facilities? Yes, PRC agents can place espionage assets on Smithfield properties. Not only that, PRC agents, depending on location, can use Smithfield acreage to pre-position equipment that can disrupt normal operations of US infrastructure. Think about what’s below, around and, what many don’t think about, above Smithfield’s acreage to imagine US vulnerabilities. Ask: Do Smithfield properties straddle underground pipelines for water or energy products or underground cables for telecommunication networks? Are Smithfield lands near military installations, water supplies or energy facilities? Do any sit underneath airspace with concentrations of commercial flights or military training operations?

Next week, we’ll discuss examples of threatening land acquisitions as well as address additional concerns about Smithfield and its parent’s commercial positions.