China Declares Missouri an Economic and Reputational Menace in New Legal Action

China Declares Missouri an Economic and Reputational Menace in New Legal Action

The People's Republic of China claim $50.5 billion in economic and reputational losses

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Today, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that China has filed a lawsuit to attack the State of Missouri as she moves towards seizing Chinese assets. Earlier this year, the Missouri Attorney General's Office secured a historic $24 billion judgment against the People's Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, and related entities for unleashing and worsening the COVID-19 pandemic, and Attorney General Hanaway fully intends to collect.

"I find it extremely telling that the Chinese blame our great state for 'belittling the social evaluation' of The Wuhan Institute of Virology. This lawsuit is a stalling tactic and tells me that we have been on the right side of this issue all along," said Attorney General Hanaway. "We stand undeterred in our mission to collect on our $24 billion judgment that was lawfully handed down in federal court."

Last week, the Missouri Attorney General's Office received notice of suit, in the Intermediate People's Court of Wuhan, declaring Missouri to be an economic and reputational threat to the People's Republic of China. The suit is specified on behalf of The People's Government of Wuhan Municipality, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

China's suit names as defendants:

• The State of Missouri, represented by Governor Mike Kehoe
• U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt
• The Missouri Attorney General, including former Attorney General Andrew Bailey, now Co-Deputy Director of the FBI

The complaint argues the defendants' acts have had "negative effects on the soft power" of Wuhan and have "belittled the social evaluation" as well as adversely affected the "productivity and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements" of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and The Wuhan Institute of Virology.

China is demanding the defendants "issue public apologies on New York Times, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, YouTube and other American media or internet platforms, and People's Daily, Xinhuanet and other Chinese media or internet platforms…" The suit demands joint compensation totaling $356.4 billion Chinese Yuan, equivalent to $50.5 billion US Dollars, as well as any legal fees which occur and the right to claim further compensation.

The suit further specifies that Missouri's "vexatious litigation" has "defamed Plaintiffs' reputation, resulting in huge economic losses of the Plaintiffs, and deeply endangering sovereignty, security and development interests of China."

"I've been banned from Communist China, and now I am being sued and targeted by Communist China in a $50 Billion lawfare campaign, and I'll wear it like a badge of honor. China's sinister malfeasance during the COVID-19 pandemic led to over a million Americans losing their lives, economic turmoil that rocked our country for years, and an enormous amount of human suffering, and as Missouri Attorney General I filed suit to hold them accountable," said U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt. "Instead of trying to defend its indefensible behavior, Communist China responded with frivolous lawfare, attempting to absolve themselves of all wrongdoing in the early days of the pandemic. This novel lawsuit is factually baseless, legally meritless, and any fake judgment a Chinese court issues in this lawsuit we will easily beat back and keep from being enforced against the people of Missouri or me. This is their way of distracting from what the world already knows, China has blood on its hands. China lied about the origins of COVID virus, they tried to cover it up, and they upended the world by creating a global pandemic that resulted in immense human loss. The responsibility lies squarely at their feet. No amount of CCP choreographed lawfare will deter me from standing up for Missourians and the American people."

Timeline of Events

Missouri sued China in 2020 for causing and exacerbating the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically for thwarting the production, purchasing, import, and export of medical equipment, such as personal protective equipment (PPE). The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri ruled that Missouri "established this claim of damages through evidence satisfactory to the court," proving that China caused and exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic, harming Missourians through its actions and cover-up.

In March 2025, the Missouri Attorney General's Office secured the largest judgment in Missouri history and one of the largest ever issued against a foreign sovereign.

After the required waiting period, Attorney General Hanaway directed the judgment service packets submitted to the U.S. State Department for diplomatic provided service to China in November 2025.

To date, China has refused to appear in U.S. Court.

Next Steps in Attorney General's Suit

Once diplomatic service on the judgment-service packets is confirmed, Missouri will return to federal district court to obtain certification that all requirements have been met. That certification will allow Attorney General Hanaway to begin seizing Chinese-owned assets, including real property, financial interests, and other holdings tied to the defendants.

The lawsuit's diplomatic service packet received from China can be read here.