U.S. President blocks China’s wind turbines plans in Oregon

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. President Barack Obama has stopped a Chinese company from building wind turbines in the US state of Oregon, citing national security concerns, his administration said.

Ralls Corp, a private Chinese firm, had acquired four wind farm projects near a U.S. naval facility earlier this year.

This is the first foreign investment to be blocked in the U.S. for 22 years. It comes as the U.S. lodged a trade dispute against China just weeks ahead of November's presidential election.

The move forces Ralls Corp to divest its stake in the projects, which were located near restricted airspace used by the military base.

The president's order came after an investigation into the wind farms by the US Committee on Foreign Investments (CFIUS) said there was no way to mitigate the national security risks posed by the Chinese company's plans.

The White House order said: "There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that Ralls Corporation... might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States."

The order also targeted Sany Group, the company that makes the turbine generators. The military has said it uses the Oregon base to test unmanned drones and other equipment for electronic warfare. The aircraft fly as low as 200ft (60m) at speeds of as much as 300mph (500km/h).