Guests - Ava Chen, Nate Foster - Tucson Police Protective League

China Watch Wednesday: The CCP's Hidden Influence on American Farmland

Kathleen Winn welcomes Ava Chen from the New Federal State of China for another installment of China Watch Wednesday. Today's focus: how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is systematically purchasing American farmland through deceptive practices and shell companies, while the full extent remains hidden from public view.

"All disasters link to the CCP," explains Ava Chen. "In this movement of the New Federal State of China, we say to Chinese, the root cause of all disasters is the CCP - this bankrupt ideology handed down from the Soviet Union that seized power in China in 1949."

The ongoing conflict between America and China isn't merely about trade or economics - it's fundamentally about preserving liberty, freedom, and the American experiment against a totalitarian power seeking global dominance. Chen warns that Americans must understand the CCP's operations, strategies, and tactics to recognize the threat.

"You have to put yourself in their shoes," Chen advises. "You have to pretend you're a bad actor and think like a criminal to understand what's happening right now."

The Hidden Truth About Foreign Ownership of American Farmland

The discussion pivots to the alarming acquisition of American farmland by foreign entities, particularly the CCP. While official reports indicate Chinese entities control approximately 375,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land, Chen suggests this number dramatically underestimates the real figure.

"Does America really know how much your top adversary actually owns? Can you trust the number?" Chen challenges.

The deception occurs through shell companies and proxies in seemingly friendly nations. Chen points out that Canada alone owns over 14.2 million acres of American farmland, representing more than one-third of all foreign-owned agricultural land in the U.S.

"This is basically a deception," Chen explains. "You have to ask the question: are they really Canadians? Who are those entities in Canada purchasing U.S. land? Who controls those Canadian companies? It all goes back to the CCP."

Similar questions should be raised about Netherlands (owning 12% of foreign-held U.S. agricultural land), Italy, UK, and Germany - which collectively control another 13 million acres. Chen asserts that many of these seemingly European or Canadian companies are actually fronts for Chinese Communist Party interests.

"Canada is not a sovereign country," Chen states bluntly. "I'm very sad. I love Canada, just like I love freedom and liberty because I came to the West more than 20 years ago. I love the fresh air here, but Canada is gone."

She highlights the dramatic increase in Chinese farmland ownership in the United States - from just 13,720 acres in 2010 to almost 25 times that amount by 2022.

American Complicity and Control vs. Ownership

The conversation shifts to influential Americans potentially complicit in this effort. Chen notes that Bill Gates reportedly owns 275,000 acres of American farmland, and investment giants like BlackRock have purchased millions of shares in farmland acquisition companies.

"Controlling and ownership are two different things," Chen emphasizes. "The registry can only help address the ownership issue, but it does not tell you who is the dark hidden hand behind it."

She uses the example of Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, to illustrate how the CCP exercises control: "Under the Chinese Communist Party totalitarian rule, he is nothing. He is a driver who does not own his car. He is holding assets for his CCP Communist masters who control state power."

This model of hidden control extends to prominent figures in America who praise China while actually serving CCP interests. "When they talk about China, you really have to separate this. They always say 'Oh, China is good, China is our friend.' But what they're really saying is 'CCP is my boss.'"

The Dangers of CCP Presence on American Soil

The discussion concludes with the alarming implications of having CCP-controlled entities embedded within American borders. Chen uses a metaphor of an enemy invited into your home: "I'm not just invited for a cup of tea - I'm actually living in your home. And secretly, I want to harm you."

These entities can engage in reconnaissance, information gathering, and exploitation of vulnerabilities within American society. They study internal divisions, collect intelligence, and prepare for more direct actions against American interests.

Chen connects the farmland purchases to broader criminal enterprises, citing a Drug Enforcement Agency report that cartels are delivering "millions in cash from the sale of poisonous drugs to Chinese criminals, and the cash is being used in many cases to buy real estate in the United States."

This creates an interconnected web of drug trafficking, money laundering, and property acquisition - all ultimately controlled by CCP interests in a global syndicate.

Prop 414: Why Tucson's Police Union Opposes the Public Safety Sales Tax

In the second segment, Nate Foster, president of the Tucson Police Protective League, joins Kathleen Winn to discuss why police officers oppose Proposition 414, despite it being marketed as benefiting public safety.

Foster explains that the city charter already requires Tucson to prioritize public safety in its budget, but the city has consistently failed to do so. "The city charter requires public safety to be provided. And the city is not prioritizing that in the budget. So we're seeing a lot of wasteful spending."

While other Arizona cities like Phoenix and Mesa dedicate approximately 50% of their general fund to police services, Tucson allocates only about 29%. Instead, Foster argues, the city prioritizes projects like free bus service, tree planting, and expensive electric vehicles.

"The key issue we're having right now with the sales tax is that we're being used to increase the budget of the city," Foster explains. "The city is trying to capitalize on crime using the police to increase their budget where they can now continue to fund their pet projects."

Foster notes that this sales tax proposal has been years in the making, with concerning political maneuvering behind the scenes. He details how the Tucson Police Officers Association (TPOA) endorsed raises for the mayor and council, donated $10,000 to support that initiative, and then admitted it was a quid pro quo arrangement to gain support for the public safety sales tax.

"This cake's been baking for a while," Foster states. "You could see this over the last several years of decisions coming from TPOA. They're wheeling and dealing on behalf of mayor and council, and they're ignoring their membership."

Crime, Public Safety, and Mismanagement

The discussion explores Tucson's growing crime problem, exacerbated by policies like free bus service that effectively function as "mobile homeless shelters" and spread crime throughout the city. Foster describes a revolving door system where officers arrest individuals only to have them immediately released from jail.

"They go to the jail, they get immediately released, hop on the bus, and they're probably getting back to the division they were just arrested before the officer gets back," Foster explains. "And before the officer finishes the report."

He argues that the solution isn't more money through a half-cent sales tax, but rather proper management of existing resources and implementation of proven policing strategies. A vice president in Foster's union wrote a memo outlining effective solutions to address crime based on "broken windows style policing," but these approaches have been abandoned in favor of reactive measures.

The Real Motivations Behind Prop 414

Foster and Winn agree that Proposition 414 appears designed to create a slush fund for the mayor and council rather than genuinely addressing public safety needs. The timing of the special election in March, rather than including it on the November ballot, suggests an attempt to push it through with low voter turnout.

"The city should be funding us per the charter," Foster states. "If they want to have a half-cent sales tax, don't lump us in with it and make it for what it really is - free bus or trees, whatever garbage idea you have. Make the sales tax for that. Don't lump us into it because that's dishonest."

The conversation concludes with a call for voters to reject Proposition 414 and force the mayor and council to properly manage the city's budget according to the charter. Both agree that supporting law enforcement means demanding accountability from city leadership, not approving additional taxes that may never reach their intended purpose.

"Do not help the officers by giving them more money through this tax," Winn emphasizes. "You really care about your police department? You really want to have safety? You say no to this and make the mayor and council do their job."