New Hampshire Official Assisted Chinese Company Property Purchase, Investigation Finds

An internal review released today revealed a New Hampshire state employee facilitated the purchase of a Nashua property by a Chinese beverage company without violating any laws, but raised concerns about oversight of foreign investment.

The unnamed business development manager at the Department of Business and Economic Affairs aided the $67 million purchase of the property at 80 Northwest Blvd. by a subsidiary of Nongfu Spring in February, even after learning of the company’s Chinese ownership. The employee did not notify supervisors for several months, according to the report released by Attorney General John Formella. The location’s proximity to sensitive government facilities – including a Space Force station, air traffic control center, and water treatment facility – prompted the investigation.

Nongfu Spring founder Zhong Shanshan has a net worth exceeding $77 billion and is reportedly connected to China’s Communist Party. This sale has intensified a national debate about foreign ownership of land near critical infrastructure. “Across both state and local government, certain employees require greater awareness of emerging avenues for malign influence by foreign actors,” Formella wrote. Governor Kelly Ayotte responded to the findings by signing two executive orders yesterday, banning state agencies from using technology from foreign adversaries like China and directing employees to scrutinize real estate transactions involving entities from those countries. “China, Russia, Iran and other countries like them should not be doing business in the state of New Hampshire — it’s as simple as that,” Ayotte stated.

A new state law restricting land purchases by entities from “countries of concern” took effect on July 1, but is not retroactive to the Nongfu Spring deal. U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander has called for a federal investigation into the purchase, urging U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to review potential national security risks, as detailed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States . Further scrutiny of the deal is expected as federal officials consider its implications.