Chinese court hears COVID defamation case against US state of Missouri

A Chinese court has ​started hearing a defamation case filed ​by local authorities and scientific institutions ‌against ​the US state of Missouri and several of its current and former attorneys general, over claims that they ‌fabricated and disseminated false information related to the coronavirus pandemic. According to an official notice published on Tuesday, the Wuhan Intermediate People's Court, in central Hubei province, formally accepted the ‌case, which was jointly brought by the Wuhan municipal government, the Wuhan Institute ‌of Virology and Beijing's Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The plaintiffs allege that the state of Missouri, alongside former Attorneys General Eric Schmitt, Andrew Bailey as well as current Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, orchestrated, promoted ⁠and ​carried out "malicious and ⁠abusive litigation" in the US. They claim the defendants fabricated and disseminated false information, while making "stigmatizing and ⁠discriminatory remarks." The filing states that these actions severely infringed upon the plaintiffs' reputation rights and caused ​significant financial losses.

The Missouri attorney general's office did not immediately respond to a ⁠request for comment. The Chinese side is demanding a formal public apology, the restoration of the plaintiffs' ⁠reputation, ​and compensation for damages. The South China Morning Post said Chinese parties were seeking 356.44 billion yuan ($53.44 billion) in compensation.

The Chinese lawsuit is the latest ⁠in an ongoing back-and-forth after Missouri in April 2020 filed the first-of-its-kind lawsuit against Hubei ⁠and other Chinese defendants, ⁠seeking to hold them responsible for alleged economic damages stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. ($1 = 6.6701 Chinese yuan renminbi)