Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., has proposed legislation to stop China from using its courts as a political weapon against Americans.
The move was sparked by what he called "authoritarian lawfare" tied to the Wuhan lab controversy and COVID-19.
Schmitt introduced the "Ending Chinese Lawfare Act," designed to prevent U.S. courts from recognizing or enforcing civil judgments issued by Chinese courts when those rulings are politically motivated and backed by the Chinese government or the Chinese Communist Party, The Washington Times reported.
Schmitt's push of the first-of-its-kind legislation comes after he became a target of a massive retaliatory lawsuit in Wuhan.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the municipal government in Wuhan filed a case in the Intermediate People's Court in Wuhan seeking roughly $50 billion from Schmitt, Missouri, and Andrew Bailey, who succeeded Schmitt as the state's attorney general and carried a prior case forward.
The Chinese plaintiffs demanded apologies and "compensating losses," and the notification about the lawsuit was only made this month, even though it appears to have been filed in the spring.
Schmitt, who previously sued China while serving as Missouri attorney general, said the Chinese case is "politically motivated, legally meritless," and proof Beijing is willing to weaponize "kangaroo courts" to go after American citizens.
"My bill makes clear that no politically motivated judgment issued by a Chinese court will ever be recognized or enforced in the United States," he told the Times.
The backdrop is Missouri's earlier lawsuit that produced a $24 billion judgment against the Wuhan Institute of Virology and related entities.
The Chinese defendants did not contest the case at the time, leading to a default judgment. Missouri officials have vowed to pursue collection, including by seizing Chinese-owned assets.
Schmitt has framed the Wuhan lawsuit as intimidation and retaliation meant to distract from China's role in the pandemic era and to punish Americans pushing for accountability.
In posts on X, he described the case as a "$50 Billion lawfare campaign," adding that he would not be "bullied" or "intimidated."
The Times noted U.S. law has blocked certain foreign judgments before, pointing to a 2010 law signed by President Barack Obama preventing enforcement of defamation rulings from countries with weaker free-speech protections.
But Schmitt's bill breaks new ground by targeting China specifically, arguing its judicial system is subordinate to the Communist Party and lacks independence.
Under the proposal, Chinese civil judgments could not be enforced in the U.S. if they are determined to be initiated or supported by the Chinese government or the Communist Party and intended to thwart the U.S. government or constitutional rights.
The legislation would also allow defendants to move such cases from state court to federal court and seek attorney fees.
Schmitt's effort is a direct challenge to Beijing's playbook: Silence critics, rewrite history, and use state-controlled institutions to punish dissent.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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