Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024
When Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was governor of South Carolina, did the state give 200 acres to a Chinese company?
A deal in South Carolina that gave land to a Chinese company was done at the county level.
The Richland County Council gave 197 acres to China Jushi as part of a 2016 deal to attract investment from the Chinese fiberglass products manufacturer.
In 2019, China Jushi broke ground on the land on what was reported to be a $300 million plant.
Nikki Haley, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, was South Carolina governor when the deal was made. At the time, she called it a “huge win” for South Carolina. While campaigning in October 2023, she said she recruited the company.
A TV ad running in Wisconsin that attacks Haley used her “huge win” quote and said “the government on her watch” gave 200 acres to a Chinese company.
The ad is from Fight Right, a super PAC supporting Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Richland County Council Regular Session Nov. 1, 2016
- Post and Courier China Jushi Breaks Ground in Richland County
- South Carolina Department of Commerce China Jushi bringing 80,000-ton fiberglass production line to Richland County
- Washington Post Nikki Haley misleads town hall audience on Chinese land acquisitions
- iSpot.tv | Realtime TV Advertising Performance Measurement Fight Right Inc. TV Spot, 'Tricky Nikki'
- FEC Form 1 for FIGHT RIGHT INC
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
See all fact briefs
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
Learn MoreLatest Fact Briefs
Is Wisconsin one of only six states with same-day voter registration?
Monday, Feb. 17, 2025
Do recent studies link water fluoridation with less dental decay in children?
Friday, Feb. 14, 2025
Are airline flights the safest mode of transportation in the U.S.?
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025