Missouri's lawsuit against China for "unleashing COVID-19 on the world" is nearing its conclusion, with the state threatening to seize $25 billion in assets if Beijing refuses to pay damages.
Newsweek reached out to the Missouri attorney general's office and the Chinese embassy in the U.S. with emailed requests for comment.
Why It Matters
The Show Me State sued China in April 2020 as COVID-19—which originated in the Hubei province city of Wuhan and has killed over 7 million people—coursed through the world.
Washington, the World Health Organization (WHO) and others have called on Beijing, which in the critical early weeks of the outbreak suppressed efforts to alert the world, to fully disclose information related to the pandemic. Chinese authorities say they shared data "without reservation" and suggest the virus may have originated elsewhere—a claim not widely supported by the scientific community.
What To Know
Only one item remains in the five-year suit: whether China, which hoarded masks and other personal protective equipment, drove up costs for Missourians and put them at risk.
China accounted for half the world's surgical mask production and imposed export restrictions on masks and other PPE as the demand skyrocketed.
The trial began at 2 p.m. on Monday at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, lasting less than one hour, local media reported. China declined to participate, making a ruling in the state's favor likely, the attorney general's office said in a press release.
"Today, we hauled China into court to hold them accountable for unleashing COVID-19 on the world," Attorney General Andrew Bailey was quoted as saying. "Missouri is the only state in the nation to file suit to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for causing and exacerbating COVID-19."
The proceedings come on the heels of a bombshell report released by the CIA concluding that a lab leak was the most likely origin of the virus.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday dismissed these findings. "Origins-tracing is a matter of science, and any judgment on it should be made in a science-based spirit and by scientists," she told reporters.
Who Said What?
Andrew Bailey, attorney general of Missouri, said: "Today was a great day: the judge was engaged in our arguments and asked detailed questions. We feel confident that we will collect on the $25 billion we're demanding in damages. And if China refuses to pay up, we will seize Chinese assets instead."
Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: "The U.S. needs to stop politicizing and weaponizing origins-tracing at once and stop scapegoating others. The U.S. should respond as quickly as possible to the international community's legitimate concerns, voluntarily share its data with the WHO about suspected early cases in the U.S., clarify the questions concerning relevant U.S. biological labs, and give a responsible explanation to the world."
What Happens Next
The court's ruling is expected in the coming weeks.
About the writer
Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian ... Read more