After a Chinese agricultural company was given the green light to produce genetically engineered soybeans for American consumption, a Republican in Congress is raising concerns.
According to John Moolenaar, a Republican from Michigan and chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), there should be serious concerns about the surprising speed with which the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the Chinese biotech company Qi Biodesign.
In a letter to Tom Vilsack, the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture why it had approved the operations of a Chinese agricultural biotech firm with ties to the Chinese government. The USDA gave Qi Biodesign, a manufacturer of genetically modified soybean seeds, regulatory clearance priority, putting it ahead of other American agricultural enterprises, which are now experiencing significant delays.
China controls nearly 350,000 acres of agricultural land close to military bases,
According to Moolenaar’s letter to Vilsack, the Chinese government is directly funding Qi Biodesign and similar companies with the clear goal of replacing U.S. agricultural biotechnology.
The Michigan Republican’s letter to the secretary included a number of demands for information, including an explanation of the clearance process for Qi Biodesign, specifics on USDA trade arrangements, and information regarding the links between U.S. agricultural enterprises and their Chinese counterparts.
The chairman was one of five members who put their names to the letter.
The letter was also signed by Representatives Dusty Johnson (R–South Dakota), Ashley Hinson (R–Iowa), Ben Cline (R–Virginia), and Carlos Gimenez (R–Florida).
In the still-unpassed 2024 “Farm Bill,” Congress has imposed a number of limitations on the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) capacity to acquire property in the United States.
Representative Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) made changes to the bill so that it would be easier to monitor when foreign companies buy farmland in the United States.
China’s leadership views the agriculture market as a means to gain a strategic advantage over the United States. At the cost to American farmers and businesses, Qi Biodesign and similar enterprises are vital to General Secretary Xi Jinping’s goal of achieving technological independence in agriculture.
The Republicans want a response from the USDA by August 1st.