President Donald Trump has publicly said he wants China to pay for the coronavirus outbreak.
Now, senior U.S. officials are beginning to look into ways to punish or demand financial compensation from China for its involvement and handling of the pandemic, The Washington Post reports.
Senior administration officials with knowledge of internal planning told the newspaper that several agencies are supposed to meet Thursday to come up with a strategy for seeking retaliatory measures against China.
“Punishing China is definitely where the president’s head is at right now,” a senior adviser said.
In private, Trump and his aides have discussed stripping China of its “sovereign immunity,” which would then enable the U.S. government or victims to sue China for damages.
George Sorial, who formerly served as a top executive at the Trump Organization and is involved in a class-action lawsuit against China, told The Washington Post he and senior White House officials have discussed limiting China’s sovereign immunity.
Legal experts say that it could require congressional action. Some members of Congress have already drafted their own laws that would strip China of immunity.
Another tactic discussed would involve the U.S. canceling part of its debt obligations to China, two people with knowledge of internal conversations told the newspaper.
Two senior White House economic officials have since ruled out that possibility.
Officials caution the White House is in very early planning stages and no plan has been agreed on.
Some officials are disagreeing on when to act and how harshly. Economic advisers suggest a cautious approach while the national security team supports a stronger response.
“Now is just not the right time,” one senior administration official involved in the talks said. “There will be a time to do it.”
Political advisers are pushing Trump to take a strong stance against China because they think it will boost his image.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.