Newt Gingrich: China let coronavirus spread – Communist Party should be held legally liable and pay damages
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It’s clear by now that China badly mismanaged the outbreak of the coronavirus and lied to the world about what was happening.
But what responsibility should China’s Communist dictatorship bear for the devastation the virus has caused around the world? To what extent should Beijing be held accountable – and even legally liable?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}I explore these critical questions in detail in this week’s episode of my podcast “Newt’s World.” As the third part of my series looking at China and the spread of the coronavirus, I speak with Eric Schmitt, the attorney general of Missouri. His state is taking legal action against China for deceiving the world and causing the virus to become a global pandemic.
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On April 21, Schmitt filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri against the Chinese government, Chinese Communist Party, and other Chinese officials and institutions.
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The 47-page complaint alleges that during the crucial weeks of the initial outbreak, Chinese authorities “deceived the public, suppressed crucial information, arrested whistleblowers, denied human-to-human transmission in the face of mounting evidence, destroyed critical medical research, permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus, and even hoarded personal protective equipment – thus causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable.”
The lawsuit fleshes out these allegations in incredible detail, showing the extent of Beijing’s malfeasance. The suit also details how the pandemic caused hardship in Missouri and across the globe – death, isolation from sick and dying loved ones, massive unemployment, economic dislocation, uncertainty, and trillions of dollars of economic losses.
Schmitt estimates that China should pay the people of Missouri upwards of $44 billion if he wins the case.
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The evidence indicates that China should be held legally responsible for the coronavirus pandemic. Missouri is taking a courageous lead in this effort.
It strikes me that Missouri’s lawsuit presents an opportunity to sidestep concerns about Chinese sovereignty by directly targeting the Communist Party, which really controls China and makes all important decisions.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And none of the major decisions concerning the virus were made without Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party, who should be specifically targeted in these lawsuits.
If China’s Communist dictatorship can cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and the destruction of trillions of dollars of economic activity and face no consequences, it would teach Chinese leaders a terrifying lesson that they can get away with almost anything.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}I hope you will listen to this week’s episode to learn about this important lawsuit and what concrete, practical steps we the people can take to hold China accountable.
And I hope you will listen to my next episode, set to air Wednesday, on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s $3 trillion stimulus package, which seems to be more of a Democratic wish list than any attempt to address the fallout from the coronavirus.
To read, hear, and watch more of Newt Gingrich’s commentary, visit Gingrich360.com.
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