The South Carolina Senate has sent a clear message to Chinese people that they do not want them to buy and own land in South Carolina. The SC House is likely to follow suit.
The premise is that Chinese people who are not United States citizens are Communist spies. The proposed law is directed at Chinese companies but, really, makes no distinction between a billion-dollar conglomerate and a hard-working mom and/or pop just getting by with the kids, and maybe grandma and grandpa in tow. Large chunks of land, apparently, are being gobbled up elsewhere especially in the West so that speculators can make money when something is done about the water shortages there. Multi-billionaires buy land because their daddy, just like our daddies told us, told them that “They’re not making any more land.”
So they take advantage of farmers and ranchers whose next generation has no interest in being a farmer or a rancher.
On March 23, the SC Senate voted 31-5 to disallow Chinese people from buying or controlling SC property. Since money talks, they carved out an exception for industries already doing business here that are Chinese, like Volvo. A Senator said they have proven themselves to be a good citizen so they can keep control of their gigantic Volvo plant near Charleston (shocking, right?) and others can invest here IF THEY get approval from the SC Department of Commerce. Obviously, Communist party ties would be a disqualifying factor.
Mom and Pop Chinese restaurants can be owned by Chinese people once they qualify for citizenship.
American restaurants operating in China are under the same restriction, with a caveat for McDonalds, of course (not really, I made that up - no Communist country would do such a thing).
I figured the China syndrome would be gone now that The Confucius Institute has left Clinton, but apparently that’s not enough. We want Asian students to enroll at Presbyterian College, of course, but they have to be a different kind. And, they can buy houses in South Carolina - their country is not on the United States’ “adversaries” list.
So, real estate folks, put away your Chinese contacts. SC Senators don’t want them here unless, of course, they want to rent a 2 bedroom house for $50,000 a month. Our Senators have some of those.
Vic MacDonald is Editor of The Clinton Chronicle. In June, 2025, Vic will observe his 50th year in community journalism. Reach him at 864-833-1900.
