China called on the United States to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Missouri against the Asian country for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
“This so-called lawsuit is very absurd and has no factual and legal basis at all,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily briefing Wednesday.
Geng claimed China has been “open” and “transparent” since the outbreak began.
Missouri’s top state prosecutor announced the lawsuit Tuesday, alleging Chinese officials are to blame for the health crisis that has infected more than 2.5 million worldwide and stunted economies. Attorney General Eric Schmitt accused the Chinese government of lying about the dangers of the virus.
“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,” he said. “They must be held accountable for their actions.”
More than 200 people have died in Missouri from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The lawsuit is mostly symbolic as U.S. law generally prohibits lawsuits against other countries. However, Schmitt hopes to sidestep the law by adding the Chinese Communist Party to the suit.
