Chinese court hears COVID defamation case against US state

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.