The second-largest foreign landowner in the United States is a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
According to a report reviewed by the Daily Caller, Chen Tianqiao— founder, chairman, and CEO of global investment firm Shanda Group, owns nearly 200,000 acres of land in Oregon.
The Chinese national made billions from online gaming, making him one of the most significant non-American landholders in the U.S. In only five years, Tianqiao became one of China’s largest Internet companies, producing some of today’s most popular games, such as, “The Word of Legend,” “Dungeons & Dragons Online,” and “Final Fantasy XIV.” It is also the largest IPO of a Chinese internet company in the U.S., which was listed on the Nasdaq after raising $152 million.
He also has significant ties to the Chinese government, including his executive roles in CCP-affiliated organizations. According to a 2007 article from Communist Youth Daily, Tianqiao joined the CCP when he was 18 years old. Since then, Chinese media outlets and business filings have identified him as a Chinese Communist Party member.
In 2015, Tianqiao made his Oregon land purchase for $85 million, making the Chinese national the 82nd-largest property owner in the U.S. According to Land Report, Oregon’s Bull Springs Skyline Forest accounts for roughly 33,000 of his acreage.
Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) said that she is “deeply concerned that individuals tied to the Chinese Communist Party are buying up timberland, which is one of our most precious and finite resources.”
“Foreign ownership of United States lands is a serious problem that has rightfully sparked unease among farmers, ranchers, and foresters across the country,” she told the Daily Caller.
According to Bloomberg, the average value of U.S. cropland spiked 8.1 percent in 2023 alone as American farmland has risen more than a third in value since 2020.
GOP governors have raised concerns about allowing foreign ownership of U.S. land, stressing that it is a national security threat.
Just this month, Gov. Mike Parson (R-MO) proposed legislation banning purchases made by Chinese billionaires near military installations.
“One of the Chinese Communist Party’s goals is to undermine and weaken America,” GOP Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said. “This includes instances where our greatest adversary continues to buy land — whether it’s farmland or near our installations.”