The Biden administration is forcing a Chinese-backed cryptocurrency mining company to sell its land near an U.S. Air Force Base in Wyoming that houses part of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The White House said it fears China may be using the property to spy on the United States critical infrastructure.
The White House announced the decision on Monday, May 13. U.S. officials ordered MineOne Partners Unlimited to sell the land in the next 120 days and remove its equipment. The property is less than a mile from the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, home to some intercontinental ballistic missiles. The White House described the base as a “strategic missile base and key element to America’s nuclear triad.”
“The presence of specialized and foreign-sourced equipment potentially capable of facilitating surveillance and espionage activities presents a national security risk to the United States,” the White House said in a release.
The order by the Biden administration came after an investigation by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The U.S. Treasury Department chairs the committee which investigates corporate deals regarding national security concerns. A 2018 law gave the committee more power to review property transactions close to sensitive U.S. facilities.
MineOne, which is owned by Chinese nationals, bought the land in 2022. The White House said MineOne’s property purchase was not filed to the Committee on Foreign Investment until after the agency launched an investigation into the company following a public tip. The investigation led to findings that concluded the land sale posed “national security risks.” President Joe Biden said that the finding suggests there was “credible evidence” to believe MineOne “might take action to impair of the United States.”
MineOne has not responded to the report yet.
The U.S. showed increased concern over the national security threats posed by Chinese purchases near sensitive U.S. military sites.
Meanwhile, China retaliated by enhancing restrictions on U.S. companies, also citing national security risks. The country strengthened a law against sharing state secrets to include “work secrets,” which lacks clear definition, leaving foreign investors unclear on if or when they might be breaking the law. The law also keeps restrictions on overseas travel by people working with “state secrets.”
China also blocked U.S. tech companies including Micron, which manufactures memory chips in the U.S., from selling products in China. The restrictions came after a security review and crackdown on several foreign consulting firms in 2023.
