🦠 A federal court in Missouri has ruled that the People’s Republic of China is responsible for concealing the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and restricting access to protective equipment.
Source: PRYAMYI
📢 According to The New York Times, the court has ordered Beijing to pay over $24 billion in fines, and Missouri authorities plan to confiscate Chinese assets in the United States.
📜 The lawsuit was filed in April 2020 by then-Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt. It accused China of suppressing information about the coronavirus and blocking the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the global market.
⚖️ Judge Stephen Limbo stated that China “misled the world” about the scale of the pandemic and attempted to monopolize the protective equipment market, complicating the U.S. response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
🏛️ Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced that the state intends to seize Chinese assets, including agricultural land, to enforce the court’s decision.
🇨🇳 The Chinese Embassy in Washington strongly condemned the ruling, stating that it does not recognize the court’s decision and is preparing a “decisive response.”