Washington: The United States has delivered a significant blow to China, holding it responsible for covering up the COVID-19 outbreak and monopolizing personal protective equipment (PPE). A U.S. court has imposed a $24 billion fine on China for these allegations.

A case was filed in Missouri in 2020, accusing the Chinese government of causing the spread of COVID-19. The lawsuit named Wuhan Institute of Virology and other entities as responsible. It also alleged that China obstructed the production, purchase, import, and export of PPE kits meant for the U.S. After the trial, Judge Stephen ruled that China was responsible for the pandemic and imposed a $24 billion fine.

Additionally, the court noted that Missouri suffered an $8 billion tax revenue loss due to China's actions, with an extra $122 million spent on PPE supplies. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey called it a historic verdict, vowing to seize Chinese assets in Missouri to compensate for the damages. Meanwhile, a Chinese embassy representative in Washington dismissed the ruling, calling it baseless and a violation of international law.