Missouri judge orders China to pay $24 billion

A Missouri judge has ordered the Chinese government to pay $24 billion for hoarding personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling found that China violated anti-monopoly laws, causing significant financial harm to the state. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced plans to collect the damages by seizing Chinese-owned assets, including farmland in Missouri. The lawsuit, filed in 2020, accused China of obstructing PPE production and distribution. The judge noted that Missouri incurred over $122 million in additional PPE costs and lost more than $8 billion in tax revenue due to China's actions. China did not participate in the court proceedings.