WATCH: Sen. Cramer voices concerns over Fufeng plant

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KVRR) – North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer voices a big opposition to the Fufeng corn milling plant on the edge of Grand Forks saying the company’s leadership is intertwined with the Chinese Communist Party.

Cramer also doesn’t want to give the Chinese government access to critical American supply chains like agriculture.

“If you look at the CEO, the president of Fufeng, is, in fact a very active member of the CCP and he’s received high recognition for being a model of the CCP. So, it’s not just, you know, one, sort of, fringe element,” Cramer said.

Many are skeptical of the company building in Grand Forks because of spying concerns on the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski says he’s aware of Cramer’s concerns and says that’s why the city has done its due diligence in vetting the project.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is doing a national security assessment. It has sent a letter to China’s Fufeng requesting a further filing and deeper examination of the facts and circumstances of the development.

City Administrator Todd Feland says the committee is attempting to determine if the purchase of land in Grand Forks by Fufeng constitutes the purchase of a ‘U.S. business.” If deemed so, it has authority to review the substance of the transaction and address national security issues.