On Lunar New Year's Day, the CCP Faces a Lawsuit: Sued by the U.S. for $25 Billion

Illustration of a U.S. Federal Courtroom (AI-Generated)

People News - The transition from the old year to the new one is traditionally a time for prayers and wishes, a moment of great spiritual significance. However, for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), what should have been the luckiest day of the year turned into a series of misfortunes. Apart from former President Trump’s combination of policies targeting the CCP, the party also faced two major lawsuits. In late January, the Philippines announced plans to sue the CCP at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) or the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over environmental damage in the South China Sea. Then, on Lunar New Year's Day, another lawsuit emerged: the U.S. state of Missouri filed a claim seeking $25 billion in damages from the CCP over the COVID-19 pandemic. The trial has already concluded, with the plaintiffs stating that if the CCP refuses to pay, they will seize Chinese assets.

"Today, we have taken China (the CCP) to court, demanding that they be held accountable for releasing COVID-19 upon the world," Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, declared in a statement on Chinese New Year's Eve. "Missouri was the first U.S. state to sue the CCP over its role in causing and exacerbating COVID-19. Today is a great day: the judge engaged with our arguments and posed detailed questions. We are confident that we will recover the $25 billion in damages we seek. If China (the CCP) refuses to pay, we will seize its assets."

The trial, officially known as the "State of Missouri vs. China (CCP)" case, was held at a federal court in Cape Girardeau and lasted for about an hour. During the proceedings, the court acknowledged that the plaintiffs had presented "a substantial amount of indisputable evidence" demonstrating that the CCP deliberately concealed, released, and spread the Wuhan virus, causing harm to Missouri residents.

A ruling is expected around February. Given that the CCP is unlikely to appear in court, the plaintiffs are highly likely to win the case. Bailey’s statement on Chinese New Year's Eve indicated that "the judge clearly expressed a tendency to rule in Missouri’s favor," and so far, China (the CCP) has refused to participate in the proceedings.

Missouri first filed the lawsuit against China (the CCP) in April 2020 in a U.S. federal court, accusing it of causing and worsening the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuit also alleged that the CCP obstructed the production, procurement, and international trade of essential medical supplies, such as personal protective equipment (PPE). At the time, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs angrily dismissed the lawsuit, calling it "completely baseless in both fact and law" and urging U.S. courts to dismiss the "frivolous case."

However, in 2024, a U.S. federal appellate court ruled that Missouri had the right to sue China (the CCP) for specific unlawful actions related to COVID-19.

Political analysts suggest that if Missouri wins this case and successfully seizes Chinese assets, other countries and regions may follow suit, launching their own lawsuits against the CCP. This could also expose the CCP’s false narrative that "COVID-19 originated in the U.S.," delivering a devastating blow to the party. The CCP is already struggling with internal instability, economic decline, deteriorating public support, and diplomatic setbacks. This lawsuit could further exacerbate its crisis, potentially leading to internal conflicts that trigger a political collapse. As such, the significance of Missouri's lawsuit extends far beyond financial compensation.

As the Year of the Snake begins, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), often referred to in the West as the "Ancient Serpent" of Satan, finds itself overwhelmed by crises, unable to cope with mounting global turmoil.

On January 23, Philippine Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla announced that Manila would soon file a new lawsuit against the CCP at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) or the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over severe environmental destruction in the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea. A 2023 report by the Washington-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), highlighted that China's (CCP's) island-building activities in the South China Sea had covered more than 4,600 acres of reef. Previously, in 2016, the Philippines took the CCP to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague over its attempt to claim sovereignty over the South China Sea. The court ruled that the CCP's claim to the "nine-dash line" had no legal basis. At the time, the CCP refused to participate in the arbitration and rejected the ruling.

However, the lawsuit filed by the United States presents a different challenge. If the CCP refuses to comply with the court’s ruling, its assets in the U.S. could be seized—an outcome that would cause serious headaches for Beijing. This means that Chinese companies operating in the U.S. are also likely to complain about the CCP’s handling of the situation. Meanwhile, the Philippines' lawsuit will place enormous pressure on the CCP and have significant global ramifications, at the very least serving as a deterrent and a means of containing an evil force.

The first day of the Lunar New Year is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration for the Chinese people. However, for the CCP, disaster has struck again and again. How will it get through this year? Can it survive?