Sun Guangxin, a Chinese billionaire suspected of being an agent of the Chinese government, is in the process of selling a large portion of real estate in Texas, according to sources. Sun had purchased 130,000 acres of land in the Lone Star state between 2016 and 2018, sparking fears over both environmental and national security issues. The most contentious part of his portfolio was a 15,000-acre ranch where he planned to build a 46-turbine wind farm in proximity to an Air Force base, raising concerns about the potential for espionage, as well as energy security.
DailyMail.com has now learned that he has sold the rights to the wind farm to Babcock & Wilcox, a US-based energy firm, for $11 million, and that company later sold it to Greenalia, a Spanish energy firm, for $15 million. Although it has not yet seen an option to buy the land itself for another $22 million, Greenalia now holds the rights to develop the project, raising concerns with Texas Governor Greg Abbott that the Chinese could still have access to and control of the site in breach of the Lone Star Infrastructure Act.
Local Texans, including ranchers Wayne and Philip Walker, have vowed to stand up against this foreign actor and to protect what they describe as one of the last wild and scenic areas of the country. Not only are they deeply concerned for the environment, but the area is home to the largest bat roost in the US, monarch butterflies, birds, and black bears, all of which are under threat from the proposed turbines.
Their battle may not be quite yet over, however. According to several sources, Sun may still retain an interest in the property, with concern being raised that he could keep a backdoor to state infrastructure. Greenalia has said it will comply with all legal and environmental requirements, but locals remain adamant that the vast area must remain a haven for wildlife and that many other, more suitable, areas are available for wind farms.
This fight is part of a rising concern over recent foreign investments in US farmland, with the Chinese Communist Party now owning over $2 billion of US properties. It serves as yet another example of how Beijing is attempting to infiltrate American society. Texans, however, remain hopeful this foreign foothold in their own state will be removed and that their beloved wild corners of the Lone Star State will be kept just as they are.
