US State Of Missouri Is Angry With China For Doing Little To Stop Covid-19, They're Suing Them
Missouri is seeking damages over what it described as deliberate deception and insufficient action to stop the pandemic. Comes amid calls in the US Congress to punish China and a campaign by President Donald Trump to focus on Beijings role.
The US state Of Missouri has said it is suing China for doing little to stop the spread of coronavirus which it says has led to severe economic crisis.
Missouri is seeking damages over what it described as deliberate deception and insufficient action to stop the pandemic.
Reuters
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.
"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 added.
Reuters
In its lawsuit, Missouri says 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).
It comes after a class action lawsuit filed in Florida in late March for damages by American citizens who did not test positive for COVID-19 but claim to have suffered economic losses because of it.
The lawsuit named as defendants the People¡¯s Republic of China (PRC), the National Health Commission of the PRC, the Ministry of Emergency Management of PRC, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of PRC, the Government of the Hubei Province and the Government of the City of Wuhan.
Reuters
There have also been reports that United Kingdom that the country was suing China after the Conservative MPs directed their ire towards China for downplaying the threat of coronavirus, leading to a London-based Conservative think tank exploring possibilities of legally suing China.
The Henry Jackson Society has compiled in its 'Coronavirus Compensation?' report that "China should be sued under international law for trillions of dollars for its initial cover-up of the coronavirus pandemic," London bureau of The Sunday Morning Herald had reported.
It is getting really sour, and an escalation of tensions can have great economic and political implications.
