- A Chinese businessman with ties to the Communist Party's intelligence apparatus owns two golf courses flanking the Louisiana headquarters of U.S. nuclear strike forces.
- Eugene Ji, the owner, has held official roles within China's United Front Work Department, identified by U.S. authorities as an influence and intelligence arm.
- National security experts warn the properties' proximity to Barksdale Air Force Base presents significant risks for intelligence gathering and potential sabotage.
- Despite being marketed for "people-to-people diplomacy," the courses have fallen into disrepair, raising questions about their primary purpose.
- Lawmakers are calling for greater scrutiny of foreign land purchases near sensitive military sites, citing a pattern of strategic acquisitions by China-linked entities.
In a revelation that has heightened national security concerns, a Chinese businessman with documented ties to Beijing’s intelligence and influence networks owns two golf courses that physically bracket the Louisiana headquarters of America’s intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear bombers. The situation, uncovered by a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation, places a foreign actor with links to the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department within miles of Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale Air Force Base, one of the nation’s most sensitive military installations.
The property and its owner
Since 2013, Eugene Ji, a Chinese-American businessman, has owned The Golf Club at StoneBridge and Olde Oaks Golf Club. These 340 acres of land sit approximately two miles north and south of Barksdale, effectively flanking the base. While the properties operate as golf courses, Ji’s background extends far beyond the fairways. Chinese government announcements and university publications identify Ji as an overseas committee member of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, an organization under the umbrella of the United Front Work Department (UFWD).
The U.S. government has repeatedly identified the UFWD as a key instrument of the Chinese state, blending legitimate engagement with influence operations and intelligence activities aimed at advancing Beijing’s strategic interests abroad. Ji’s autobiography and Chinese state media reports state his intent to use the golf clubs as a venue for “people-to-people diplomacy,” noting that U.S. senators, governors and business leaders have gathered there.
A pattern of strategic acquisition
This case is not isolated. It echoes broader, escalating concerns about the acquisition of U.S. land—particularly near critical infrastructure and military sites—by entities linked to foreign adversaries. Last year, similar alarms were raised regarding a foreign-owned trailer park adjacent to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, home to B-2 stealth bombers. Republican Rep. John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, emphasized the trend, stating, “The time for sleepwalking past China’s spending spree on strategically vital land across the U.S. needs to end.”
National security analysts point to the inherent risk such proximity creates. “For the price of two apparently poorly-maintained courses, the CCP and the People’s Liberation Army have likely secured an intelligence and sabotage bonanza,” said Jacqueline Deal, an advisory board member at State Armor, a nonprofit focused on countering CCP influence. Experts warn that control over social and economic nodes near a strategic base provides exploitable leverage, which could be weaponized during a geopolitical crisis.
From diplomacy to disrepair
Despite the stated diplomatic purpose, the physical state of the golf courses has deteriorated markedly in recent years. Online reviews and golf blogs have described the properties as a “dump” and listed them among the worst in Louisiana, with reports of abandoned holes. This decline contrasts sharply with the strategic value of the land itself, leading observers to question whether the business’s commercial viability is secondary to its location.
Ji’s deeper engagements align with Beijing’s strategic goals. He has participated in meetings within China focused on talent recruitment for national development zones specializing in artificial intelligence, supercomputing and robotics—sectors integral to China’s Military-Civil Fusion policy. This policy mandates that civilian technological advancement directly support military modernization.
A call for vigilance
The ownership of land adjacent to a cornerstone of American nuclear deterrence by a CCP-linked figure underscores a modern vulnerability. It represents a form of geopolitical positioning that operates in the space between overtly hostile action and benign private investment. Historical context is clear: nations have long sought intelligence on adversaries’ military capabilities, but the acquisition of permanent property near command centers presents a persistent, physical foothold.
Air Force officials at Barksdale stated they train to confront threats “both at home and abroad,” but the situation highlights the complex challenge of monitoring non-traditional intelligence collection. As China expert Gordon Chang noted, “What more warning signs do we need?”
A persistent foothold
The case of the two Louisiana golf courses is a microcosm of a larger, diffuse challenge to U.S. national security. It demonstrates how adversarial nations can leverage open economic systems and property rights to establish a presence in sensitive locations. While no espionage has been publicly linked to these properties, their existence raises urgent questions about the adequacy of current safeguards against the foreign acquisition of land near critical military assets. As strategic competition intensifies, such footholds demand sustained scrutiny and a proactive defense of the homeland that extends beyond the base fence line.
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