US judge mandates China pay $24bn in case related to Covid
A US judge has mandated that China compensate Missouri with $24 billion due to allegations that it deceived the global community regarding Covid-19 and stockpiled protective equipment. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Beijing has faced accusations of jeopardizing lives through its stockpiling of protective supplies at the onset of the pandemic.
A federal judge in the United States has mandated that China pay $24 billion in damages to Missouri, stemming from claims that Beijing misrepresented the Covid-19 outbreak and hoarded protective equipment during the pandemic's early stages.
The lawsuit was initiated by Missouri's attorney general in April 2020, during the early phase of the pandemic. The state charged China with putting residents at risk by withholding critical information about the virus's spread, which allegedly hindered timely response efforts. The legal claims also suggested that China intentionally restricted exports of protective gear, leading to price surges and shortages. State attorneys noted that Covid-19 ranked as the third leading cause of death in Missouri during 2020 and 2021, attributing the worsening of the crisis to Beijing’s actions.
In 2022, the case was dismissed under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which restricts U.S. courts' authority to hold foreign governments accountable for actions deemed non-commercial. However, an appeals court later permitted the case to move forward on the more specific issue of supply hoarding.
On Friday, Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh determined that Missouri had presented “satisfactory” evidence to consider China liable for “engaging in monopolistic actions to hoard PPE.”
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey expressed his approval of the ruling, labeling it “a landmark victory for Missouri and the US in the fight to hold China accountable for unleashing Covid-19 on the world.” He pledged that the state would aim to “collect every penny,” potentially through the seizure of Chinese-owned assets in Missouri, including farmland.
China has condemned the lawsuit, characterizing it as politically motivated.
“The so-called lawsuit has no basis in fact, law, or international precedent. China does not and will not accept it,” stated Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy, on Friday. He cautioned that if the ruling adversely affects China's interests, Beijing would respond with “reciprocal countermeasures.” Beijing had previously labeled the case a “farce,” asserting that U.S. courts lack jurisdiction over sovereign actions taken by China.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
A federal judge in the United States has mandated that China pay $24 billion in damages to Missouri, stemming from claims that Beijing misrepresented the Covid-19 outbreak and hoarded protective equipment during the pandemic's early stages.
The lawsuit was initiated by Missouri's attorney general in April 2020, during the early phase of the pandemic. The state charged China with putting residents at risk by withholding critical information about the virus's spread, which allegedly hindered timely response efforts. The legal claims also suggested that China intentionally restricted exports of protective gear, leading to price surges and shortages. State attorneys noted that Covid-19 ranked as the third leading cause of death in Missouri during 2020 and 2021, attributing the worsening of the crisis to Beijing’s actions.
In 2022, the case was dismissed under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which restricts U.S. courts' authority to hold foreign governments accountable for actions deemed non-commercial. However, an appeals court later permitted the case to move forward on the more specific issue of supply hoarding.
On Friday, Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh determined that Missouri had presented “satisfactory” evidence to consider China liable for “engaging in monopolistic actions to hoard PPE.”
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey expressed his approval of the ruling, labeling it “a landmark victory for Missouri and the US in the fight to hold China accountable for unleashing Covid-19 on the world.” He pledged that the state would aim to “collect every penny,” potentially through the seizure of Chinese-owned assets in Missouri, including farmland.
China has condemned the lawsuit, characterizing it as politically motivated.
“The so-called lawsuit has no basis in fact, law, or international precedent. China does not and will not accept it,” stated Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy, on Friday. He cautioned that if the ruling adversely affects China's interests, Beijing would respond with “reciprocal countermeasures.” Beijing had previously labeled the case a “farce,” asserting that U.S. courts lack jurisdiction over sovereign actions taken by China.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
