Kenya, March 23 -- Missouri is taking important steps to collect a big $24 billion judgement against China. They are focusing on Chinese-owned farmland and other properties in the state. This action follows a recent federal court decision.
The plan, led by Attorney General Andrew Bailey, aims to make China responsible for its role in the COVID-19 pandemic, which Missouri says caused serious damage to both the economy and people's lives.
The judgement, made on March 7 by U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., found that China misled the world about how serious the virus was and took too much personal protective equipment (PPE) during the crisis.
China did not show up in court to defend itself, which led to a default judgement in favour of Missouri. This $24 billion award is six times bigger than any previous judgement in the state's history. It covers money lost from taxes, higher PPE costs, and other economic problems.
"We plan to collect every dollar by taking Chinese-owned assets, including farmland in Missouri," Bailey said. He mentioned a law that allows them to find and take assets to pay this judgement.
Bailey's office also plans to work with the Trump administration to identify Chinese properties, not just in Missouri but possibly across the United States.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Chinese companies owned about 44,000 acres of farmland in Missouri by late 2023. This is a very small portion of the state's total 44 million acres.
Some of this land belongs to private Chinese companies, such as Smithfield Foods. However, legal experts wonder if there are any assets directly owned by the Chinese government in Missouri, which is important for enforcing the judgement.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called the ruling baseless and said U.S. courts do not have the right to make this decision. They have warned that they would respond if their interests were threatened.
There is no sign that China plans to pay the judgement willingly, which could lead to a difficult process to enforce it.
Missouri is also trying to reduce foreign ownership of agricultural land. In January 2024, then-Governor Mike Parson banned countries like China from buying farmland near military sites. Bailey's strong approach now supports this policy.
"China does business here and owns land here, so they must follow our laws," Bailey told Just the News. "We will enforce this judgement to make sure Missourians are compensated."
Some critics, including legal experts, say taking these assets might be difficult. Duncan Levin, a former prosecutor, told the Associated Press, "Good luck with that. This tough talk might not work in court."
Experts on international relations also caution that actions by a state like Missouri could create problems in U.S.-China relations, which are generally handled by the federal government.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.