China files lawsuit against Missouri over COVID-19 claims

Dec 20, 2025 at 12:15 PM

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Lanka Leader

Chinese institutions have filed a lawsuit in a Wuhan court against the U.S. state of Missouri and several American officials, accusing them of harming China’s economy and reputation through legal actions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The case was brought by a group of Chinese scientific and government bodies, citing documents released by Missouri officials. Defendants include Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, U.S. Senator Eric Schmidt, and former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.

According to the filing, Missouri’s lawsuits and public statements accusing China of responsibility for the pandemic amount to “vexatious litigation” and defamation, causing major economic losses and damaging China’s sovereignty and development interests. Beijing is seeking $50.5 billion in damages and legal costs and is demanding public apologies from the defendants in U.S. and Chinese media.

The lawsuit follows Missouri’s efforts to enforce a $24 billion default judgment issued earlier this year by a federal court in the state. Missouri sued China in 2020, alleging it concealed information about COVID-19 in the early stages of the outbreak and disrupted global supplies of personal protective equipment. Chinese entities did not participate in those proceedings.

Missouri officials have said they plan to pursue Chinese government-owned assets to enforce the judgment. China has rejected the ruling as illegal and politically motivated and has warned of retaliation if its assets are seized.

Beijing has consistently denied allegations that COVID-19 originated in a laboratory in Wuhan or that it deliberately withheld information about the outbreak. Chinese authorities say they acted transparently and responsibly and note that international scientific research has not reached a definitive conclusion on the virus’s origins.

The origins of COVID-19 have remained the subject of international debate since the virus was first identified in Wuhan in 2019. While some U.S. officials say a laboratory-related incident cannot be ruled out, many scientists and international organizations say existing evidence does not conclusively determine whether the virus emerged naturally or through a laboratory incident.