2 weeks ago
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(NewsNation) — When a billionaire Chinese businessman and his institution softly purchased a commercialized gathering successful Nashua, New Hampshire, to ostensibly acceptable up a h2o plant, the woody went mostly unnoticed. That changed erstwhile the acquisition terms was publically revealed.
The company, Nongfu Spring, is China’s largest beverage company. The tract is adjacent to the Pennichuck h2o strategy and allows the institution to usage section h2o for a beverage plant. What’s raising eyebrows is the enigma of wherefore the institution paid $67 cardinal successful currency for a spot valued astatine $15 million.
“Being tied into our Pennichuck h2o strategy and taking millions of gallons a time of drinking h2o from the citizens of Nashua is precise concerning,” section nonmigratory Bob Lozeau told NewsNation. He says astir folks successful Nashua didn’t cognize astir the merchantability earlier it happened.
State Senator Kevin Avard, a Republican whose territory includes portion of Nashua, shared his concerns.
“You person the airdrome here. You person our h2o proviso they are looking to capture,” helium told NewsNation.
The gathering spans 337,000 quadrate feet and is situated connected 23 acres. It’s adjacent to the Nashua Airport, respective defence centers and a Federal Aviation Administration power center.
Lily Tang Williams fled communism successful China and is now moving for Congress successful New Hampshire arsenic a Republican.
“I did probe successful English and Mandarin, which is my archetypal language, and I was conscionable shocked,” Williams told NewsNation's Brian Entin.
“I person been trying to pass people,” she says. “Xi Jinping has a China dream, and his China imagination is to usage a brushed powerfulness invasion. Business. Education. Apps similar TikTok and WeChat. Media. Entertainment. Everything they can, without firing 1 shot, to grow into occidental countries similar the United States.”
She says China doesn’t privation her to sermon what she calls the “soft powerfulness invasion” and the nationalist information concerns associated with projects similar the Nongfu Spring plant.
We asked her what would hap if she spoke retired astir it successful China.
“I would disappear. I’m acrophobic if I spell back, and I spell in, they won’t fto maine spell out. I would disappear. They privation maine to unopen up,” she told us.
The Nongfu Spring enlargement successful Nashua isn’t the lone Chinese investment. A fewer miles away, a Chinese capitalist purchased the erstwhile field of what was Daniel Webster College. The 50-acre tract was sold for $14 cardinal astir 7 years ago, but it is mostly abandoned today. The politician of Nashua, Jim Donchess, says the capitalist paid treble what the spot was worth.
We asked him wherefore Nongfu Spring would wage much than 4 times the assessed worth for the spot by the h2o plant.
“It’s precise weird. Why they would bash that, I person nary idea,” helium said.
The politician says he’s not against the project, and helium doesn’t judge determination are immoderate nationalist information concerns. The metropolis owns the Pennichuck Corporation h2o strategy itself, and the politician says the metropolis would ne'er see selling the h2o company.
But he, similar everyone other successful Nashua, is inactive wondering wherefore Nongfu Spring paid truthful overmuch for the property. “It’s precise puzzling arsenic to wherefore that would happen,” helium said.
Nongfu Spring has not yet responded to NewsNation requests for comment. We volition update this communicative if they do.
