In a strange legal story out of Missouri, the Midwestern state has sued China over COVID-19. This is the first time a US state has sued China over the virus. Missouri alleges in the suit that the Chinese government mishandled their early response to the virus. This, in turn, has led to massive economic and human costs in the state.
Missouri filed the civil suit in federal court, alleging, among other things, negligence on the part of the Chinese government. “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,” said Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt in a statement Tuesday. “They must be held accountable for their actions.”
It is highly uncommon for a US state to sue another sovereign state. China, in particular, has been the target of Republican ire since the pandemic began. Many have alleged incompetence and lies by the Chinese government helped the pandemic become global. Missouri’s suit, for example, alleged that China hoarded personal protective equipment before alerting the world of the virus.
Initially, president Trump praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who runs the totalitarian government. Trump felt as though Jinping was doing a great job of handling the virus and of being transparent with the US. However, in recent weeks, Trump has soured on China, again. He has occasionally referred to the coronavirus as “the Chinese virus,” drawing criticisms for the racist term.
Legal scholars find it unlikely that China would be held accountable for any US losses of life or revenue. Sovereign nations are unlikely to ever stand trial in US civil courts. You don’t even need to have gotten a criminal justice degree online to know that other nations don’t abide by US laws.
However, Missouri’s lawsuit, and others by US businesses, serve a different purpose. They are largely symbolic, and, some pundits claim, a smokescreen. Many political observers have noted that China serves as a convenient scapegoat for the Trump administration’s own failings with the virus. In February, Trump referred for COVID as a “hoax,” an attempt by Democrats to discredit him.
As late as March, Trump was still holding reelection campaign rallies. The president did little to prepare for the imminent pandemic throughout the month of February. Despite his early decision, in January, to stop all travel to the US from China, Trump did little else to prepare for the virus until mid-March. Republicans are likely positioning China to take the blame for the virus to deflect attention away from Trump’s own missteps ahead of the November general election.
