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Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox announced his administration has stopped an attempted land acquisition near Provo Airport by Cirrus Aircraft, a company that is majority-owned by the defense contractor Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

A 2023 Utah law prevents restricted foreign entities from purchasing land in the state. According to a statement from Cox’s office, AVIC appears on multiple federal watchlists and is prohibited from receiving from federal contracts based on security concerns. Although Cirrus Aircraft proposed a multimillion-dollar investment with the pledge to create hundreds of jobs, the deal was halted when AVIC’s ownership stake became known.

“This isn’t just about one deal,” said Cox. “It’s about protecting strategic land and ensuring foreign adversaries cannot gain a foothold in our state. Other states might have let this slip through the cracks. Utah didn’t, and won’t.”

Cox also pointed out Chinese government restrictions on religious worship, including the closure of Latter-day Saint congregations in Beijing, as further evidence that the Chinese Communist Party does not share American values.

“Utah’s story is rooted in the fight for religious liberty,” Cox said. “We will always stand for the right to worship freely and reject any attempt—foreign or domestic—to silence that right through coercion or pressure.”

Photo courtesy of Gov. Cox’s Facebook page