Missouri has intensified its efforts to seize Chinese government-owned assets in the United States, seeking assistance from the Trump administration to enforce a $25 billion court judgment related to the COVID-19 pandemic. State Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced on Wednesday that Missouri has requested the U.S. State Department to formally notify China of its intent to pursue assets with full or partial Chinese government ownership to satisfy the judgment. This legal action stems from a lawsuit accusing China of hoarding personal protective equipment (PPE) during the early stages of the pandemic, allegedly causing harm to Missouri and its residents. A federal judge ruled in favor of Missouri earlier this year after China refused to participate in the trial, dismissing the lawsuit as “very absurd” when it was initially filed in 2020. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently rejected the ruling, asserting that its pandemic-related actions are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Legal experts have expressed skepticism about Missouri’s ability to collect on the judgment, citing federal laws that generally protect foreign nations from lawsuits in U.S. courts. Hanaway acknowledged the complexity of the process, stating that Missouri is compiling a list of Chinese properties that could be targeted, including those wholly or partially owned by the Chinese government. Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, condemned the lawsuit as a politically motivated and baseless legal maneuver, emphasizing China’s opposition to such actions. The State Department has yet to respond to Missouri’s request. The case has followed an unusual legal trajectory, with an appeals court allowing the PPE hoarding allegation to proceed after an initial dismissal in 2022. The judgment includes tripled damages and interest, reflecting Missouri’s estimated losses. The lawsuit was originally filed by former Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Trump ally, and has since been inherited by Hanaway, who was appointed by Republican Governor Mike Kehoe.