A Chinese-owned crypto miner has been forced by president Joe Biden to sell its land near a US nuclear missile base due to spying concerns.
MineOne Partners, which is said to be majority-owned by Chinese citizens, will have 120 days to sell the property, which it currently uses for its crypto-mining operations.
Based under a mile away from a Wyoming air force base which stores intercontinental ballistic missiles, the US government expressed fears over the company’s unknown technology.
"The proximity of the foreign-owned Real Estate to a strategic missile base... and the presence of specialised and foreign-sourced equipment potentially capable of facilitating surveillance and espionage activities, presents a national security risk,” a statement by the White House said.
Such issues are typically brought to light by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS).
However, in this case the CFIUS was not alerted about the company’s purchase of the site and instead required a tipoff from a member of the public.
A decision to force the land sale “highlights the critical gatekeeper role that CFIUS serves to ensure that foreign investment does not undermine our national security”, Treasury secretary Janet Yellen said.