Why a secretive Chinese billionaire bought 140,000 acres of land in Texas:
The inside story of Sun Guangxin’s plan for a wind farm in the Lone Star state and how it incurred the wrath of U.S. lawmakers and environmentalists, becoming a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations.n June 7, Texas governor Greg Abbott sat down at a desk in the state capitol and, flanked by a half-dozen lawmakers, put pen to paper for a ceremonial signing of the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act.
The clamor surrounding Sun has stoked domestic fears of Chinese direct investment and given a human face to trade disputes between the two countries. Sun’s decision to invest in Texas also highlights the difficult situation facing China’s moguls. Over the past few years, the Chinese Communist Party appears to have grown more antagonistic toward private enterprise and wealthy business people.
Texas state senator Donna Campbell authored the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act in response to Sun's proposed wind farm.Today, Sun’s company, Guanghui, is a sprawling conglomerate that generated over $29 billion in revenue last year and employs more than 108,000 people.Sun incorporated GH America Investments Group in the United States in 2015.
The battle against Sun’s wind farm was started by conservationists looking to protect the Devils River – a pristine waterway treasured by Val Verde County locals.The new messaging caught the attention of prominent Texas Republicans. In February 2020, Senator Ted Cruz spoke publicly about GH America for the first time on a visit to Laughlin Air Force Base.
Bass has also focused on Sun’s roots in Ürümqi and relationships with Communist party members in the Xinjiang province. In testimony Bass gave before the Texas state legislature as it debated the Lone Star Infrastructure Act, he alleged that Sun may have an economic interest in the Chinese government’s repression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. These claims have not been independently corroborated, and the State Department has not commented on Sun or his company, Guanghui.
Sun could also be attempting to recoup money on his investment. According to several local real estate brokers and individuals with knowledge of the acquisitions, Sun’s company GH America paid far above market value for its 140,000 acres of Val Verde County land, shelling out an estimated $110 million.
A source familiar with the relationship between the parties says that it was Frankens who pitched GH America on the idea for wind development in Val Verde County. “One of the things about David is he is a born salesman,” says another Texas businessman who has worked with Frankens on previous deals and asked to remain anonymous. “He might be selling you on something that may or may not be true.”Despite its high-profile opponents, Sun’s wind farm has passed federal regulatory inspection.
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