ExclusiveChina-backed Tycoon Owns Golf Courses Near U.S. Air Force

Welcome to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Our top story. Lawmakers and China experts are raising concerns about a Chinese-American businessman with ties to the Chinese regime owning two golf courses near two U.S. Air Force bases. The Trump administration is weighing a potential offer to buy Greenland. Why is the island so strategically important and why does Trump want to keep it out of Chinese influence? An international security expert breaks it down. Texas is warning residents about mysterious seed packages shipping from China. Officials say the seemingly harmless seeds could pose a threat to the ecosystem. And China is hitting Japan with new export bans. It's putting rare earths, which are vital for tech and defense, back in the spotlight as trade tensions rise. A recent investigation is putting a Chinese businessman who shares extensive ties with Beijing under the spotlight. This follows a report by the Daily Caller revealing that his two golf courses are located just miles from key U.S. Air Force bases. Experts say this could pose security risks to U.S. forces and military intelligence. To look into the issue, we spoke with Jacqueline Diehl, president and CEO of defense research firm Long Term Strategy Group and advisory board member of State Armor for Insight. The Chinese-American businessman Eugene Ji bought two golf courses back in 2013. In his book, he wrote that they served as a platform for Chinese people to meet influential Americans such as lawmakers, business people and academics. The courses are located roughly two miles north and south of Barksdale Air Force Base. That's where the Air Force Global Strike Command is, alongside its nuclear bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Senior investigative reporter Philip Lanzicki of the Daily Caller uncovered Ji's multiple official titles within the Chinese regime. These positions span various government bodies and affiliated organizations over the past 40 years. This includes a role within Beijing's intelligence and propaganda apparatus, the United Front Work Department. Beijing created the body to form alliances outside the party to carry out its goals. Another quite alarming thing that the article highlights about this individual is that he was cooperating with military-civil fusion efforts in China and Chinese industrial zones that were linked to the PLA. So he was involved in trying to get access to American technology on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party state. He was also, I think, involved in entertainment projects that were designed to shape American public opinion in directions favored by Chinese Communist Party propaganda. In response to media inquiries, the Air Force Base said it's prepared to address threats both at home and abroad. Unfortunately, you know, in 2026, we find ourselves in a position where intelligence-linked people connected to the Chinese Communist Party and its military have, you know, are a stone's throw away from very important strategic facilities, and that's unacceptable. Congressman John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, raised concerns about China-linked companies and individuals owning land in the U.S. He highlighted the risks of such ownership near sensitive sites and military facilities and called to close these loopholes to protect U.S. national security. Eugene Ji's daughter, also the general manager of both golf courses, told The Daily Caller that the business focuses solely on the sport and serving its clients. Flora Hua, NTD News. The White House says the Trump administration is discussing a potential offer to buy Greenland, why is the island so strategically important, and why does Trump want to keep it out of Chinese influence? Jacqueline Diehl, president and CEO of Long-Term Strategy Group, joins us to break it down. Jackie Diehl, thank you so much for joining us. Great to have you back on the show. Thanks, Tiffany. It's great to be here. Now, President Trump is doubling down on his aims or goals of acquiring Greenland, not ruling out military force. Now, there's, of course, the resource angle where the U.S. wants to cut its reliance and dependence on China. There is also a strategic angle here, though. Talk to us about the importance of Greenland strategically and why the U.S. wants it. Thanks, Tiffany. We've historically had an important air base there going back to the Cold War. Obviously, Greenland has been important in international geopolitics for centuries and played an important role in World War II. We were invited there to help the Danes fight the Nazis. After World War II, Greenland played an important role in the Cold War. We had facilities there that helped us with missile defense. Where it sits is important real estate when you consider Arctic sea lines of communication or transportation routes for ships and submarines. I believe our air force base there has now actually been upgraded to a space base. So we have important strategic facilities there. We know that the Chinese Communist Party has been interested in not only the minerals, as you say, but also gaining a foothold for dual-use infrastructure and potentially being in position to have eyes and ears or even sabotage our facilities there. That wouldn't be good for the United States. It also wouldn't be good for the free world that we've played a major role in defending. I want to zoom out a bit because, of course, right now the big focus is Venezuela, and after that the U.S. has been seizing oil tankers. The U.S. actually just seized two more. One actually was flying the Russian flag, saying, of course, this is violating U.S. sanctions. One of the ships was carrying illicit Iranian oil. Now, Russia actually has sent two naval ships and a submarine to escort the second ship. How does all of this fit in, though, when it comes to Greenland? Well, if you look at where I believe it was reported we just intercepted, landed on a tanker that was doing sanctions evasion. It was apparently recently Russian flagged and it was just south of, east of Greenland, south of Iceland, heading apparently for the Barents Sea or the Baltic Sea, somewhere to Russia. We were able to intercept it before it reached there. We had to overcome some, again, as reported, Russian assets that were protecting the ship. We worked with the U.K., I believe it was reported, for that operation. So that gives you a sense of these waters are important because they are literally on the way to, in the line of bases that our adversaries will use in peacetime and in war to break international law or to threaten our interests and our allies' interests. Given all that's at stake here, we have seen NATO members responding to Trump's claims over Greenland, if you will, with alarm. When it comes to that, though, if President Trump is able to successfully negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, how likely are we to see Europe start negotiating when it comes to Greenland? I think there are many roads, you know, up that mountain. We have interests in Greenland. But again, the rest of the free world does, too, insofar as we've backstopped their security. And as this recent tanker interception shows, we're very good at working with our allies and partners to preserve international law and the rules-based order or the rights and freedoms that we all appreciate. So I guess I'm not too concerned that our allies are alarmed by our interest in protecting this set of facilities and resources that, again, in the current order, in the status quo, is threatened by major power adversaries and is part of the defense that everybody benefits from in the free world or in the Allied West. Jackie Delis, always, thank you so much for joining us. Thanks, Tiffany. Great to be with you. What do Americans make of President Trump's push to acquire Greenland? NTT San Juan was out on the National Mall in D.C. to hear from the people. In the wake of Maduro's arrest, President Trump was talking about potentially taking over Greenland at some point. What are your thoughts on that? Taking over Greenland, I'm not so sure if it's good for the country. Maybe Trump knows best. He seems to be right about everything. If we have another place where America could, you know, oversee these places out of our states, it'd be great. I think it'll just make our country better and the world better, too. NATO would have to go to war. When any member of NATO is attacked, all members have to go to their defense. That's just insane. With Trump, you never quite know. So sometimes he's saying things to get leverage. Being a little unpredictable can be an advantage at times. They're talking about Greenland being a strategic spot because we have our military base there, and China and Russia potentially having ships floating around in the water. What do you make of that? It's not our land. We cooperate with Denmark and do what we have to do. It's not our land. We can't just go take it. I think we need to be first everywhere and in everything. So if we can get our hands on it first, then so be it. Yeah, again, I would just think about the people of Greenland and ultimately what's in their best interest. If they support what we're doing and are along for it. The way I see it, the more people we can bring into the free world, the better. If there's a will, there's a way. But I'm somebody, I want to bring as many people to the American Party as possible. I think, yeah, we shouldn't let Russia or China overwhelm this country. We have to stay there and get more of our people there military-wise. And yeah, I think it would be better for our country. Texas agriculture officials are again warning residents about unsolicited seed packages being mailed from China. The Texas Department of Agriculture says more than 1,100 mystery seed packages have been collected since last February, sent to over 100 locations across the state. The most recent package was recovered on December 29th. News authorities say the seeds might seem like a small problem at first glance, but it could threaten crops, natural ecosystems and even the food supply chain. Officials say similar mailings have been reported in several other states, making it a nationwide concern. Investigators identify the seeds as sacred lotuses, an invasive aquatic plant when introduced outside its native range. The seeds are being destroyed using steam sterilization. Texans who receive these suspicious packages are urged not to open, plant or throw them away. Instead, they should contact the Texas Department of Agriculture for properly handling instructions. China is exerting pressure on Japan, rolling out an extensive list of export controls that could disrupt trade. Beijing announced Tuesday it's banning exports of so-called dual-use goods to Japan, items that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. As a result, rare earths are once again in the spotlight as a key bargaining chip amid rising tensions. China's export ban list is broad, covering hundreds of products, from electronics and navigation systems to critical minerals. The move follows months of strain after Japan's prime minister suggested a military response could be warranted if China attacked Taiwan back in November. Since then, the Chinese regime has urged its citizens to avoid travel to Japan and block Japanese seafood imports. But this latest move could have a far bigger economic impact, since the list includes rare earths. Economists warn that if rare earth restrictions last a full year, Japan could see over $16 billion in losses and a noticeable hit to its GDP. Japan reacted to the export changes, lodging protests against the move and promised to respond quickly. Meanwhile, Tokyo's stock market fell Wednesday, with automakers and chip-related firms taking major losses. China controls most of the world's supply of these critical minerals. They're essential for everything from defense systems to electric vehicles, smartphones, and medical equipment. China has used rare earths as leverage before, most notably during a 2010 territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands. Since then, Japan diversified its supply chains, cutting dependence on China's rare earth from 90 percent to around 60 percent. After releasing the list of export controls, Beijing accused Japanese companies of dumping cheap chip-making materials into China. The move signals that trade tensions between the two countries could continue to escalate. Rep. Ro Khanna is set to become the top Democrat on the House panel focused on U.S.-China competition, replacing Rep. Raja Krishnamurti. Krishnamurti will step down later this month as he campaigns for an open U.S. Senate seat in Illinois. The committee was established in 2023 amid rising tensions with China. It focuses on what members see as growing economic and political threats from Beijing. Some speculate that Khanna could also be a possible Democratic candidate for the upcoming 2028 presidential race. The latest on a private security guard who attacked eight protesters outside the L.A. Chinese consulate, the 38-year-old was released from jail on zero dollar bail. That's according to the law enforcement website and an email sent to the victims. Wu Xiang, a Chinese-American whose security team was hired by the Chinese consulate, pepper sprayed pro-democracy protesters on Sunday. He was arrested shortly afterward by local police for using pepper spray outside the bounds of self-defense. Eight people were injured, with three sent to hospital for treatment. According to the law enforcement agency, Wu was released by court order Tuesday evening. The charges against him remain felony level. Meanwhile, the protest organizer said the victims and their families were terrified upon hearing the news of Wu's release and feared for their safety. Wu, who owns at least one security services company, reportedly has access to weapons and tools he could use for retaliation. The victims have requested a bail review hearing in his case. Coming up, President Trump has blocked an almost three million dollar deal to acquire chip assets from a U.S. defense market supplier. The decision comes after authorities flagged that the buyer is controlled by a Chinese citizen. And President Trump says the U.S. government could help American companies to rebuild Venezuela's oil infrastructure. What does the move mean for China, which has built infrastructure in Venezuela to bring it under Beijing's influence? It would present a tremendous contrast between belt and road China approach versus the free world investment and cooperation approach. More on that after the break here on China In Focus. Welcome back to China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. President Trump has blocked a nearly three million dollar acquisition of assets from a U.S. aerospace and defense company, citing national security concerns. Trump says the buyer is controlled by a Chinese citizen and has ordered the company called Haifeng to divest all the acquired assets. The decision follows a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The committee found risks involving access to sensitive intellectual property and potential diversion of chip supplies away from America. Under the order, Haifeng has 180 days to complete the divestment unless an extension is granted. President Trump says the U.S. will get up to 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil from Venezuela, and the U.S. would then invest in the country and bring back the infrastructure. China has funded major infrastructure projects inside of Venezuela, from power plants to railways. Is the move pushing Beijing's influence out of the country? NTD's Steve Lance spoke to Steve Yates, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, for insight. The United States will be getting between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil. This oil will be sold at market price. Trump says that the profits will go to help benefiting the Venezuelan people as well as to the United States. How will this work, and what are the implications on communist Cuba? Well, it's fair question how it will work, and we will learn as we see it go forward, in all honesty, because this is a problem that has existed for over 25 years. There was expropriation of American assets and other international assets. And as your package was noting, and the president was saying, and Stephen Miller was saying, foreign adversaries have been availing themselves of the proceeds from this oil, and the fleet of ships that were in the near abroad were policing the ghost fleet that was illegally transporting that oil. So this initial amount, it sounds like a large number. My hunch is that it is a smaller number once you crunch it and start using it. We tend to spend money at very high rates, but it's a down payment on what a freedom dividend would be. They're moving out of the Maduro era. They're in a transition. I doubt that this transition is a forever government, but they're negotiating what the new normal might be. It affects China profoundly, because China had valued the access to this oil so highly, they contemplated digging a second canal across Central America in order to be able, in times of crisis, not to get pinched in the Straits of Malacca alone. Steve, China has also funded major infrastructure projects inside of Venezuela, from power plants to railways, while Venezuela's own enterprises are faltering under the Maduro regime's corruption and socialist approach. President Trump actually commented on this. Venezuela right now is a dead country. We have to bring it back, and we're going to have to have big investments by the oil companies to bring back the infrastructure. And the oil companies are ready to go. They're going to go in, they're going to rebuild the infrastructure. Steve, do you see this ultimately pushing the CCP's influence out of the Americas, and what are the steps that might take to put the nail on the coffin on that front? I think the first very important step is success in this transition in Venezuela. President Trump is absolutely correct that the revenues from oil used in partnership with the right countries, the right companies, the right networks of investors and builders, it would present a tremendous contrast between Belt and Road China approach versus the free world investment and cooperation approach. The people of Venezuela would visibly have an increased quality of life, better peace and prosperity, and that would shake some of the similar foundations in Colombia, where there's a government that's also founded on narco trafficking, that there could be a transition there. Mexico has to be looking at this show of force in the Caribbean and the region in a way that changes their calculus about how to get serious in their own country. And of course, there's Cuba, which the president and others have been talking about, that is not on a solid foundation. And if the right kind of development with the right partners in our own hemisphere begin to do the right things, we really have a very strong base from which to engage the world and to have red free supply chains, which ultimately would reset economic security and national security. Steve, when we hear the president talking about the Monroe Doctrine, where these types of actions are indirectly affecting our other adversaries like China, deeply affecting China, you know, we don't know what's going to happen in Iran, Russia, all related to China's energy supply and oil. We see Venezuela. What do you think China is cooking up right now? What is their next move? Well, I assume that they want to try to keep the current regime in place for as long as they can. I don't know whether they will try to offer some kinds of inducements to stabilize things economically in Venezuela. I think it will pale in comparison to what the president and American allies can really offer. And so if you have some of the opposition and some disillusioned parts of the current regime, the United States is trying to avoid the mistakes or perceived mistakes of Iraq, where we had de-Bathification and elimination of institutions inside of Iraq that ultimately undermined stability in a fundamental way, and it made reconstruction and development much, much more difficult. And so if we're leaving pieces in place, trying to negotiate a different path forward, and maybe create an environment where the expatriates feel safe to return, they bring a lot of wealth and intelligence and entrepreneurship back to that country. That's a foundation for vibrancy. China wants to avoid that outcome. But frankly, what the Monroe Doctrine comes down to is not America taking over and controlling this atmosphere. It's keeping us from being a devil's playground for our adversaries. And that's what Venezuela had been, from money laundering, to manufacturing, to terrorism, to illegal migration, and of course, the poisons of the drug market. Steve Yates, as always, really appreciate your insights. That's all for today's China In Focus. I'm Tiffany Meyer. If you have any feedback on the show or have something you'd like to see us cover, send us an email at chinainfocus and ntd.com. We'd love to hear from you. For around the clock original news coverage, visit us at ntd.com or download our NTD app. Thanks for watching. See you tomorrow.