China SUES US Senator $50 BILLION

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A U.S. senator stares down a $50 billion lawsuit from China’s epicenter of controversy, refusing to back down from demands for COVID accountability.

Story Snapshot

  • Wuhan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Wuhan Institute of Virology sue Missouri, Sen. Eric Schmitt, and others for $50 billion in alleged reputational harm.
  • The suit retaliates against Missouri’s 2020 lawsuit blaming China for COVID-19 mismanagement and cover-up.
  • Schmitt declares he “won’t be apologizing,” framing the action as proof he struck a nerve in Beijing.
  • Case highlights escalating U.S.-China lawfare over pandemic origins and global tensions.
  • Chinese court accepts filing, but U.S. enforcement remains impossible.

Missouri’s Bold 2020 Strike Against China

Eric Schmitt, then Missouri Attorney General, filed a civil lawsuit in April 2020 in U.S. federal court. He targeted the Chinese government, Chinese Communist Party, ministries, and Hubei Province. Missouri alleged China suppressed outbreak information, mismanaged the virus, and hoarded personal protective equipment. These actions devastated Missouri’s health and economy during the early COVID-19 wave centered in Wuhan. Schmitt sought accountability for tangible harms to American citizens.

Legal experts noted foreign sovereign immunity blocked practical success. Missouri secured a symbolic multi-billion-dollar default judgment. Schmitt leveraged the case politically, burnishing his tough-on-China credentials en route to a 2022 U.S. Senate win. Common sense demands leaders confront threats head-on; Schmitt’s suit embodied American resolve against opaque regimes.

China’s Wuhan Court Countersues with Massive Claim

Wuhan Municipal Government, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Wuhan Institute of Virology filed in Wuhan Intermediate People’s Court in 2024. They named Missouri (via Gov. Mike Kehoe), Sen. Schmitt, and former AG Andrew Bailey as defendants. Plaintiffs demand roughly $50 billion for reputational and economic damages. They accuse Missouri officials of politicizing COVID-19, slandering China with cover-up claims, and manipulating origin theories.

These institutions position themselves as victims of U.S. “stigmatization.” Wuhan oversees the city where the pandemic emerged. CAS leads China’s science efforts. WIV sits at the heart of lab-leak debates. Chinese plaintiffs explicitly link their suit to being prior defendants in Missouri’s action. This tit-for-tat escalates personal and state-level confrontation.

Schmitt Rejects Retaliation, Stands Firm

Sen. Schmitt dismissed the lawsuit as baseless retaliation during a Fox News appearance on The Ingraham Angle. He stated plainly, “I won’t be apologizing.” Schmitt views the $50 billion demand as validation that his original suit exposed Chinese misconduct. Beijing targets him to silence critics, he argues. This aligns with conservative principles of free speech and national sovereignty against foreign intimidation.

Missouri AG communications label China’s move a declaration of the state as an “economic and reputational menace.” No U.S. participation occurs in the Chinese proceedings. Enforcement across borders proves impossible under sovereign immunity doctrines. Schmitt’s defiance rallies supporters, turning legal pressure into political fuel.

Geopolitical Lawfare in U.S.-China Tensions

This clash exemplifies lawfare, where courts serve geopolitical aims. China’s domestic system, under CCP influence, accepts such foreign-defendant cases for symbolic wins and domestic signaling. U.S. suits against China falter on immunity but amplify narratives of accountability. Neither judgment binds the other side practically.

Broader impacts chill scientific ties, especially virology research. WIV’s involvement deepens lab-leak suspicions. For Americans, the suit underscores risks of criticizing authoritarian powers. Conservative values prioritize truth-telling over appeasement; Schmitt’s stance exemplifies holding adversaries accountable despite pushback. Mutual distrust hardens, shaping trade, tech, and diplomacy for years.

Sources:

Sen. Eric Schmitt sued by China for $50B: ‘I won’t be apologizing’

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