Missouri’s attorney general has revealed which Chinese assets the state will be targeting in a $50 billion legal row. 

The Show Me State’s legal battle with China has intensified as both sides pursue multibillion-dollar claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

And now, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has explained what is on the table in terms of what assets will be targeted in the litigation. 

“China caused extraordinary harm to our citizens and our economy,” she told Newsweek. “We are committed to holding them accountable and recovering every dollar we can. I’ve been asked if we will seize the pandas at the National Zoo. The answer is no, we are looking at other Chinese-owned assets, including farmland.”

Why It Matters

The confrontation highlights ongoing diplomatic rifts between the United States and China and raises complex questions about international law, sovereign immunity, and the ability of U.S. states to seize foreign-owned property. The outcome could set precedents for future pandemic-related litigation and diplomatic engagement between the two countries.

What To Know

China recently filed a lawsuit in a Wuhan court against Missouri and several state officials, seeking more than $50 billion in damages and public apologies.

In response, Missouri is advancing efforts to enforce a $24 billion U.S. court judgment against the Chinese government and affiliated entities—by targeting certain Chinese-owned assets within the United States.

The current dispute stems from a 2020 lawsuit filed by Missouri, which alleged that China exacerbated the coronavirus pandemic by hoarding personal protective equipment (PPE) and failing to provide timely warnings regarding the virus. 

Earlier this year, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office obtained a $24–$25 billion judgment against the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, and related entities after Chinese officials declined to participate in the U.S. court process.

In response to Missouri’s legal success, China has now filed a $50.5 billion (356.4 billion yuan) lawsuit in the Intermediate People’s Court of Wuhan.

The complaint, jointly submitted by the Chinese government, Wuhan’s municipal government, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, names the state of Missouri, Governor Mike Kehoe, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt, and former Attorney General Andrew Bailey as defendants.

The Chinese lawsuit claims Missouri and its officials engaged in “fabricating enormous disinformation, and spreading stigmatizing and discriminating slanders” that impaired China’s economic interests and reputation. 

Alongside financial compensation, China seeks public apologies in prominent American and Chinese media outlets, recovery of legal costs, and the right to claim further damages.

What People Are Saying

Hanaway said: “I find it extremely telling that the Chinese blame our great state for ‘belittling the social evaluation’ of The Wuhan Institute of Virology… We stand undeterred in our mission to collect on our $24 billion judgment that was lawfully handed down in federal court.”

U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt, who initiated Missouri’s original lawsuit, said: “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… 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.”

Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, described the Missouri lawsuit as “a purely politically motivated maneuver [and] China firmly opposes it, will never accept it, and reserves the right to take strong countermeasures.”

What Happens Next

Missouri is in the process of seeking certification of its federal court judgment—a legal prerequisite for initiating asset seizures under U.S. law. If certification is granted, the state may move forward with efforts to identify and seize Chinese-owned assets, particularly farmland and financial interests connected to the Chinese government or its proxies.

Simultaneously, Chinese legal action in Wuhan courts is ongoing, with the plaintiffs demanding significant damages and public apologies.