What’s New
Chinese buyers accounted for the largest proportion of foreign land and property acquisitions near sites deemed sensitive to Japan’s national security during fiscal year 2023, according to a government survey released Monday.
Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry via email with a request for comment.
Why It Matters
The findings come amid heightened tensions between China and Japan, as well as with Japan’s ally, the United States, where several recent spy cases involving military sites have led to prosecutions for passing sensitive information to Beijing. China defends its overseas investments as beneficial to host economies.
What To Know
Foreign individuals and entities were involved in 371, or 2.2 percent, of the 16,862 transactions of land and structures near sensitive areas in the year ending March 2024, local media reported, citing the government survey.
Of these, Chinese buyers accounted for 203 transactions, followed by South Korea with 49 and Taiwan with 46.
Under Japanese law, areas located within 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) of sites with national security significance, such as nuclear power plants, Self-Defense Forces bases, coast guard facilities, and remote islands, are designated as
China Buying Land Near Sensitive Military Sites: US Ally
