Documents show heavy state involvement in Chinese land purchase in Nashua

The purchase of a vacant warehouse in Nashua by China’s largest beverage company earlier this year has ignited rounds of finger pointing between state and city officials over how the company was recruited to come to New Hampshire in the first place.

City officials say state economic officials courted the company, Nongfu Spring, which is owned by one of China’s richest men. The state Department of Business and Economic Affairs, however, has said it gave ” no substantive assistance ” to Nongfu Spring.

But new documents obtained by NHPR show that senior state economic development officials in fact worked for months to recruit Nongfu Spring to New Hampshire, offering to help the company with permits, utilities and infrastructure, and facilitating meetings on other matters.

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