Missouri Will Seize Chinese Assets After $24.5 Billion COVID-19 Judgment: Attorney General

A judge previously ruled that China was liable for damages stemming from the hoarding of protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey stands in the governor's office in Jefferson City after being sworn in, on Jan. 13, 2025. Jeff Roberson/AP Photo

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said on March 11 that he would collect “every penny” of the $24.5 billion awarded in a lawsuit against China, including by seizing Chinese-owned assets in the United States.

His remarks follow a March 7 ruling by U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh, who found China’s communist leadership liable for damages stemming from suppressing information about the virus that causes COVID-19 and hoarding personal protective equipment (PPE) manufactured in or available for sale to the United States.