Chinese entities have long been acquiring farmland near critical U.S. military bases.
An industrial property in Nashua, New Hampshire, spanning 23 acres, was sold in January to China’s largest bottled water company, owned by one of the country’s richest billionaires. The sale has since garnered attention due to its proximity to U.S. defense facilities.
On May 29, congressional candidate Lily Tang Williams in New Hampshire’s Second District visited 80 Northwest Boulevard in Nashua, trying to bring attention to the national security risks.
“I just want to increase awareness,” she said in a video published on her YouTube channel.
“L3Harris, defense contractor, [is] just right here across the street.
“We get upset when the balloons fly over, but now they’re here, they are in my backyard, in New Hampshire. Please, somebody investigate this.”
The new industrial property is also near other military-related facilities. Apart from being very near defense contractor L3Harris, BAE Systems’ electronic systems sector is less than a 10-minute drive away, and the New Boston Space Force Station (formerly New Boston Air Station) is within a 30-minute drive.
BAE Systems, another defense contractor, operates under a special security agreement for sensitive U.S. defense programs. It has a major presence in Nashua.
According to Williams, the property was appraised at $15 million but sold for $67 million, more than four times the assessed value, without review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). This occurred during the presidential transition period.
The buyer, Chinese bottled water company Nongfu Spring, is owned and founded by Zhong Shanshan, who also serves as its chairperson. Zhong also holds a majority stake in Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise.
As of May, Zhong’s net worth is approximately $56 billion. He was China’s richest individual from 2022 until 2025.
By Mary Man
