First Chinese Lawsuit in Missouri... Chinese Ambassador Criticizes 'Politicization of COVID-19'

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Sunmi Park] Missouri became the first U.S. state government to file a lawsuit holding China responsible for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.

According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 22nd, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmidt filed a lawsuit on the 21st (local time) in the state district court seeking damages related to China's inadequate response to COVID-19. In a statement, Attorney General Schmidt said, "COVID-19, which originated in China, has caused numerous loss of lives, human suffering, and trillions of dollars in economic disruption," adding, "the Chinese government lied to the world about the risks and transmissibility of COVID-19 and silenced whistleblowers. The deception, cover-up, illegal acts, and lack of measures by Chinese authorities triggered the COVID-19 pandemic, and they must be held accountable for this." The amount of damages sought was not disclosed.

While private organizations in the U.S. have previously filed lawsuits against China related to the COVID-19 outbreak, this is the first time a state government has filed a lawsuit holding China responsible. On the 17th, Republican Representatives Ron Wright and Chris Smith introduced a bill allowing the U.S. government to sue the Chinese government in U.S. courts, opening the possibility for similar lawsuits from other states.

Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo directly mentioned China's responsibility for the spread of COVID-19, escalating tensions between the U.S. and China. On the same day, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai attended an event hosted by Bloomberg News and pointed out, "The U.S. pays little attention to scientists' views. Some senior politicians are too focused on baseless accusations."

Although Ambassador Cui did not directly mention President Donald Trump by name, his remarks are interpreted as targeting Trump, who stated, "If China is deliberately responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, it must be held accountable." Ambassador Cui criticized, "As the U.S. election season approaches, politicians seem eager to make China the centerpiece of political disputes."

Chinese state media such as the People's Daily and Global Times have also repeatedly dismissed the U.S. claims of China's responsibility for COVID-19 in their commentaries, emphasizing that the virus does not target any single country or region and that the international community must cooperate in response.

Meanwhile, a survey released on the same day in the U.S. showed that two-thirds of Americans hold negative views of China. In a survey conducted by Pew Research among 1,000 Americans aged 18 and older, 71% responded that they do not trust Chinese President Xi Jinping to do the right thing regarding world affairs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.