Missouri is trying to collect on a $25 billion court judgment over what caused the pandemic. China sued in response

On Tuesday, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said in a press statement that China is demanding a public apology from the country in a complaint submitted to the Intermediate People’s Court in Wuhan. The Chinese government is also demanding compensation equivalent to $50.5 billion, plus legal fees and the right to seek additional compensation.

“This lawsuit is a stalling tactic and tells me we have been on the right side of this issue all along,” Hanaway said in the press release.

There is a lawsuit filed by the state of Missouri alleging that China hoarded personal protective equipment during the early months of the pandemic, harming the state and its residents. A federal judge in Missouri ruled earlier this year after China refused to participate in the trial. She called the lawsuit “absolutely ridiculous” when it was filed in 2020.

Last month, Missouri stepped up its fundraising efforts, asking the US State Department to formally notify China that the state intends to pursue assets held in full or in part by the Chinese government to satisfy the ruling.

Liu Bingyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in an email statement on Wednesday that he was not aware of the details of the new case. But he said the previous lawsuit in Missouri was a “purely politically motivated maneuver.”

“China strongly opposes this, will never accept it, and reserves the right to take strong countermeasures,” Pengyu said.

China’s Foreign Ministry said earlier this year that its actions during the pandemic were not subject to US jurisdiction and did not recognize the ruling.

Some legal experts have questioned Missouri’s ability to collect the judgment, because federal law generally protects foreign countries from lawsuits in U.S. courts.

The case took an unusual course. U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh initially dismissed the suit in 2022, saying Missouri could not sue China, its Communist Party and seven other government or scientific agencies. But the appeals court allowed one part of the lawsuit to proceed: the claim that China hoarded personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks, gowns and gloves.

After Chinese officials did not respond, Limbaugh accepted Missouri’s estimate of potential past and future damages at more than $8 billion, tripled it as allowed by federal law, and added 3.91% interest until it was collected.

The lawsuit was originally filed by state Attorney General Eric Schmitt, an ally of President Donald Trump who later won election to the U.S. Senate, and alleged that Chinese officials were to blame for the pandemic. This task was carried out by Attorney General Andrew Bailey, another Trump ally who resigned in September to become deputy associate director of the FBI.

Hanaway, a former U.S. attorney and Missouri House speaker, inherited the case when she was appointed state attorney general by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe.

The Associated Press was not immediately able to obtain its own copy of the complaint filed by China. But a copy was linked to the Hanway news release.

The complaint accuses Missouri, as well as Schmidt and Bailey, of “fabricating massive misinformation and spreading stigmatizing and discriminatory slurs” that damaged China’s reputation.

Schmidt said he would wear the suit “like a badge of honor” and accused the Chinese authorities of “trying to absolve themselves of all wrongdoing in the early days of the pandemic.”