Wuhan court accepts case against Missouri

A court in Wuhan, the capital of Central China's Hubei province, is currently handling a defamation lawsuit involving Chinese authorities and the state of Missouri in the United States.

On Monday, the Wuhan Intermediate People's Court announced on its official website that it had accepted a case filed on May 7,2025, by the Wuhan city government, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Wuhan Institute of Virology of the CAS against the state of Missouri and two of its former attorneys general, Eric Schmitt and Andrew Bailey.

Late last year, the Chinese plaintiffs included Catherine Hanaway, the current attorney general of Missouri, as a co-defendant in the case.

The court announced that a hearing was held on Friday, and the legal proceedings are ongoing. According to the court's statement, the plaintiffs have alleged that the defendants orchestrated, promoted and executed malicious lawsuits in the US, fabricated and spread false information, and made defamatory and discriminatory remarks.

These actions have severely harmed the reputation of the Chinese government and its institutions, causing significant damage, they said.

The Chinese parties have demanded an immediate halt to these actions by the defendants, a public apology and civil liability to eliminate the negative impact, restore the plaintiffs' reputation and compensate for the damages incurred.