BEIJING (AP) — China is slamming a lawsuit brought against it by the 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 is defending China's response to the outbreak, which has largely subsided in the country where it was first detected.
China's government has 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.
The lawsuit, announced Tuesday by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, claims that China suppressed information, arrested whistleblowers and denied the contagious nature of the coronavirus pandemic.
A spokesperson representing Schmitt’s office described the move as “historical.”
