China Countersues Missouri in Escalating COVID-19 Legal Battle, Demanding $50.5 Billion
Missouri is facing a countersuit from the People’s Republic of China as the state moves to enforce a $24 billion judgment against Beijing for its role in the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese government alleges the state’s legal actions have caused significant economic and reputational damage.
Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that China filed suit to challenge Missouri’s efforts to seize Chinese assets. Earlier this year, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office won a landmark $24 billion judgment against the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, and related entities for allegedly unleashing and worsening the COVID-19 pandemic. Hanaway affirmed her commitment to collecting the full amount.
“I find it extremely telling that the Chinese blame our great state for ‘belittling the social evaluation’ of The Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Hanaway stated. “This lawsuit is a stalling tactic and tells me that we have been on the right side of this issue all along.” She emphasized that Missouri remains “undeterred in our mission to collect on our $24 billion judgment that was lawfully handed down in federal court.”
The suit, filed in the Intermediate People’s Court of Wuhan, claims Missouri poses an economic and reputational threat to China. The complaint is brought on behalf of The People’s Government of Wuhan Municipality, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
The defendants named in China’s suit include the State of Missouri, represented by Governor Mike Kehoe; U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt; and the Missouri Attorney General, including former Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who now serves as Co-Deputy Director of the FBI.
According to the complaint, Missouri’s actions have negatively impacted Wuhan’s “soft power” and “belittled the social evaluation” of the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, hindering their scientific and technological advancements. China is demanding public apologies in prominent American and Chinese media outlets – including the New York Times, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, YouTube, People’s Daily, and Xinhuanet – alongside compensation totaling $50.5 billion U.S. dollars (356.4 billion Chinese yuan), plus legal fees and the potential for further claims.
The suit alleges Missouri’s “vexatious litigation” has “defamed Plaintiffs’ reputation, resulting in huge economic losses” and jeopardizing China’s “sovereignty, security and development interests.”
Senator Eric Schmitt, who spearheaded the initial lawsuit against China as Missouri’s Attorney General, dismissed the countersuit as a “$50 Billion lawfare campaign.” “I’ve been banned from Communist China, and now I am being sued and targeted by Communist China,” Schmitt said. “China’s sinister malfeasance during the COVID-19 pandemic led to over a million Americans losing their lives…The responsibility lies squarely at their feet.” He vowed to vigorously defend against the suit, calling it “factually baseless, legally meritless,” and a distraction from China’s alleged role in the pandemic’s origins and spread.
Timeline of the Legal Conflict
Missouri first sued China in 2020, alleging the country caused and exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic by obstructing the production, import, and export of critical medical supplies, such as personal protective equipment (PPE). In March 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri ruled in favor of Missouri, finding that China’s actions and cover-up had demonstrably harmed Missourians. This ruling resulted in the historic $24 billion judgment – the largest in Missouri’s history and one of the largest ever against a foreign sovereign.
Following a required waiting period, Attorney General Hanaway initiated the process of serving the judgment to China through the U.S. State Department in November 2025. To date, China has not appeared in U.S. court to defend against the original claim.
Next Steps for Missouri
Once confirmation of diplomatic service is received, Missouri will seek certification from the federal district court, confirming all requirements have been met. This certification will then authorize Attorney General Hanaway to begin seizing Chinese-owned assets, including real estate, financial holdings, and other properties linked to the defendants.
The lawsuit’s diplomatic service packet received from China can be read [here](link to document).
This escalating legal battle underscores the complex geopolitical tensions surrounding the origins and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges of enforcing judgments against foreign nations.
