China calls virus lawsuit brought by Missouri 'very absurd'
BEIJING (AP) — China on Wednesday slammed a lawsuit brought against it by the U.S. state of Missouri over the coronavirus pandemic as "very absurd."
Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the legal action has "no factual and legal basis at all" and repeated China's defense of its response to the outbreak, which has largely subsided in the country where it was first detected.
The ministry and other Chinese government departments have strenuously denied accusations that officials delayed reporting on the extent of the outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, despite reports that worries over political stability were placed above public health concerns. Medical staff who reported the outbreak were silenced under threat of legal retaliation and Wuhan went several days without reporting cases during the holding of an annual provincial government conference.
"This so-called lawsuit is very absurd and has no factual and legal basis at all," Geng said at a daily briefing. Since the outbreak began, China has proceeded in an "open, transparent, and responsible manner" and the U.S. government should "dismiss such vexatious litigation," he said.
Read more: https://www.newstribune.com/news/missouri/story/2020/apr/22/china-calls-virus-lawsuit-brought-us-state-very-absurd/825128/
(Jefferson City News Tribune)
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