Sen. Bernie Moreno has called for a national security review of a planned facility purchase by a Chinese solar manufacturer near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, expressing concerns that the company may act as a "shell company" for Beijing's strategic objectives.
In a letter Friday to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Moreno stated that SolarSpace Technology Co., Ltd., intends to lease or purchase a facility located in Kettering, Ohio, approximately 13 miles from the critical military installation. Moreno, R-Ohio, highlighted Wright-Patterson Air Force Base's significance as a hub for aerospace research, engineering, and intelligence, including the Air Force Research Laboratory, and expressed alarm that a potential adversary might establish a presence nearby.
"We cannot allow potential shell companies for the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] to buy land or facilities near our most sensitive military and critical infrastructure sites, including Wright-Patterson Air Force Base," Moreno urged Bessent. SolarSpace Technology, headquartered in Xuzhou, China, manufactures solar cells and modules.
This demand comes amid broader concerns about Chinese entities acquiring U.S. land and facilities near military installations. Reports indicate that Chinese firms have purchased property near at least 19 U.S. bases across the country. Retired Air Force brigadier general Robert S. Spalding III has previously stated that such proximity to strategic locations is concerning.
Moreno's call echoes legislative efforts to enhance oversight of foreign real estate transactions. Last year, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott introduced legislation that would mandate more rigorous national security reviews of such deals through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which Bessent chairs. The bill also aims to improve data sharing among agencies involved in CFIUS and requires annual reports to Congress on real estate transactions involving sensitive sites.
In July 2025, the Trump administration's Department of Agriculture initiated efforts with other agencies to prohibit U.S. farmland purchases by Chinese nationals. The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.