Missouri is taking bold action against China by seizing farmland to collect a massive $24 billion judgment. The landmark legal victory addresses China’s alleged role in the COVID-19 pandemic and raises serious questions about foreign ownership of American soil.
At a glance:
• Missouri won a $24 billion lawsuit against China for COVID-19 damages and PPE hoarding
• U.S. District Court Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. ruled China liable for covering up the pandemic’s start
• Missouri plans to seize Chinese-owned farmland and other assets to fulfill the judgment
• The case highlights national security concerns about Chinese ownership of land near military bases
• China has rejected the ruling and threatened countermeasures against the United States
Historic Judgment Against Communist China
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey secured a landmark $24 billion judgment against the Chinese Communist Party for deliberately hiding information about COVID-19 and hoarding protective equipment. The historic ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. found that China’s deception caused severe economic damage to Missouri, including over $8 billion in lost tax revenue.
The communist nation was not represented at the trial, resulting in a default judgment that Missouri now intends to enforce by seizing Chinese-owned assets within the state. Judge Limbaugh’s ruling specifically cited China’s campaign to hoard personal protective equipment while deliberately misleading the world about the dangerous virus that originated within its borders.
“Missouri will start to identify and begin going to court to have court orders issued to seize those assets to make good on that judgment,” Attorney General Andrew Bailey explained in a recent statement. Bailey has emphasized that this represents the first step in holding China accountable for unleashing COVID-19 on the world and the devastating consequences that followed.
The lawsuit, filed under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, gives Missouri the legal authority to seize foreign-owned assets to satisfy the judgment. China’s Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu predictably rejected the ruling, claiming the “so-called lawsuit has no basis in fact, law or international precedence.”
This is just the first step towards holding China accountable for the damage they did to the world in 2020 – and it’s only the beginning.
Enforcing The Judgment
Attorney General Bailey confirmed that Missouri will collaborate with the Trump administration to identify and seize Chinese-owned assets within the state. The amount of farmland to be seized and exactly how it will be disposed of remains unclear, but officials are moving quickly to enforce the historic judgment.
China has threatened unspecified “countermeasures” in response to the seizure efforts, highlighting the diplomatic tensions surrounding the case. The Chinese Embassy in Washington does not recognize the Missouri judgment and has issued warnings about potential retaliation against American interests.
But with Trump in charge, will they really try and start a new fight? We’ll soon find out!
