The US state of Missouri has sued China’s leadership over its handling of the coronavirus, prompting an angry rebuke from Beijing on Wednesday over the “absurd” claim.
Missouri is seeking damages over what it described as deliberate deception and insufficient action to stop the pandemic.
The first-of-a-kind state lawsuit comes amid calls in the US Congress to punish China and a campaign by President Donald Trump to focus on Beijing’s role as he faces criticism over his own handling of the crisis.
Missouri – led by Trump’s Republican Party – filed a lawsuit in a federal court seeking an unspecified amount in damages and an injunction on continuing actions by China that are alleged to include hoarding of protective equipment.
“The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19, silenced whistleblowers and did little to stop the spread of the disease,” Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said.
“They must be held accountable for their actions,” he said.
The lawsuit says Missouri and its residents suffered possibly tens of billions of dollars in economic damages, and seeks cash compensation. It also accuses the Chinese government of making the pandemic worse by “hoarding” masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE).
Missouri addressed the issue by suing the governing Communist Party, arguing that it is not formally an organ of the Chinese state.
Citing an estimate that Missouri may lose tens of billions of dollars due to the virus and action to prevent it, the lawsuit accused the Chinese Communist Party of being in “knowing, willful and in reckless disregard of the rights of the state and its residents”.
The lawsuit pointed to Chinese authorities’ early suppression of news of the virus when it broke out in Wuhan, including the silencing of whistleblowers.
It also noted that China initially said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
China is already facing similar lawsuits filed in US courts on behalf of US business owners.
