Missouri wins $24.5 billion lawsuit against China

Missouri has won a $24.5 billion lawsuit against China for its role in the COVID-19 pandemic. A federal judge ruled that China and its co-defendants, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology, failed to appear in court and are in default. The lawsuit, filed in 2020, accused China of causing the pandemic and hoarding medical supplies. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey stated that China used proxy organizations to avoid legal accountability, claiming these groups are controlled by the Chinese government. Bailey's office argued that the China Society of Private International Law, which filed a brief in support of China, is linked to the Chinese government. The court has yet to address this claim regarding the legitimacy of the proxy group's involvement.