Missouri SUES ‘Lying’ China For Coronavirus: ‘Campaign of Deceit Launched This Pandemic’

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The state of Missouri has filed a lawsuit against the Chinese communist government over the coronavirus pandemic, claiming China is responsible for the outbreak that has caused "enormous death, suffering, and economic losses they inflicted on the world, including Missourians."

The state of Missouri has filed a lawsuit against the Chinese communist government over the coronavirus pandemic, claiming China is responsible for the outbreak that has caused “enormous death, suffering, and economic losses they inflicted on the world, including Missourians.”

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Eastern Missouri on Tuesday, alleges Chinese officials silenced whistleblowers and lied to the world about the nature of the coronavirus.

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,’ Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office said in a written statement. ‘They must be held accountable for their actions.’

An appalling campaign of deceit, concealment, misfeasance, and inaction by Chinese authorities unleashed this pandemic,‘ the suit says.

DailyMail report: This marks the first time a state has sued China over its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. 

World leaders including President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne have expressed concerns over Beijing’s transparency amid the virus.

On Monday 22 Republican lawmakers requested that the Trump administration bring a case against China to the International Court of Justice for the country’s actions in the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Wuhan Institute of Virology has been at the centre of conspiracy theories, which suggest that the killer virus originated there. The above picture, taken on January 31, 2015, shows researchers taking part in a drill at the newly-completed virus lab

Schmitt’s office accuses China of negligence and claims the pandemic cost Missourians possibly tens of billions of dollars in economic damage.  

Schmitt’s office is seeking unspecified damages for deaths in Missouri and the hit the virus has taken on the state’s economy.

‘In Missouri, the impact of the virus is very real – thousands have been infected and many have died, families have been separated from dying loved ones, small businesses are shuttering their doors, and those living paycheck to paycheck are struggling to put food on their table,’ he said in his statement. 

In Missouri there are over 6,000 cases and over 200 deaths in the the state. Nationwide there are over 800,000 cases of the virus and over 45,000 deaths. 

One estimate says that coronavirus lockdowns in the state have cost Missouri $44billion, according to Fox

The state also accuses China of hiding key information that could have prevented the spread of the virus and hoarding masks and other personal protective equipment as the rest of the globe was in dire need. 

An appalling campaign of deceit, concealment, misfeasance, and inaction by Chinese authorities unleashed this pandemic,‘ the suit says.

During the critical weeks of the initial outbreak, Chinese authorities deceived the public, suppressed crucial information, arrested whistleblowers, denied human-to-human transmission in the face of mounting evidence, destroyed critical medical research, permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus, and even hoarded personal protective equipment—thus causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable.’ 

WHO helped cover up coronavirus leak from Chinese lab
Dr Tedros of the World Health Organization with President Xi of China.

While the suit lists a number of claims of China’s wrongdoing, it also mentions the theory that the virus could have escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a biosafety level 4 lab that studies infectious diseases including coronavirus. 

The lawsuit names The People’s Republic of China – which is the official Chinese government – and the Chinese Communist Party. 

China is already facing similar lawsuits filed by at least seven federal class-action suits filed by private groups in US courts.  

However, international law experts say that efforts to hold China liable for the coronavirus in U.S. courts will likely fail.

A legal doctrine called sovereign immunity offers foreign governments broad protection from being sued in U.S. courts, said Tom Ginsburg, a professor of international law at the University of Chicago, said to Reuters. 

He says the recent flurry of lawsuits against China serve a political end for Republican leaders facing an election in November.

We are seeing a lot of people on the political right focus on the China issue to cover up for the U.S. government’s own errors,’ Ginsburg said.

‘If the United States wants to bring claims against China, it will have to do so in an international forum. There is no civil jurisdiction over such claims in U.S. courts,’ Chimène Keitner, an international law professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, said.  

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry is a writer at The People's Voice. He covers politics, business and entertainment. Speaking truth to power since he learned to talk, Baxter has travelled in over 80 countries and won arguments in every single one. Live without fear.
Email: baxter@thepeoplesvoice.tv
Baxter Dmitry

6 Comments

  1. I am suing my stupid government for my loss of 90k in my 401k over tI his. I am not eating this. / I am suing local, state, and federal levels for their stupidity in this travisty. we pay them good money to no mess up like this and get it right.

  2. All in it together Legal eagles chasing the petrol dollar, cant leave then out after their brothers in arms ate raking in billions from the scientists cup of borgia

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