WASHINGTON — President Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton came out against the idea of U.S. citizens or governments taking China to court over its role in the global spread of coronavirus.
“It’s a very politically appealing position,” he said on Tuesday during a webinar hosted by Shurat HaDin (Israel Law Center), an Israeli civil rights organization established to defend the victims of terrorist attacks.
Shurat HaDin reportedly plans to file a class-action lawsuit against China on behalf of the victims of the coronavirus. Bolton, however, despite his reputation as a foreign policy hawk, warned against it. “I think it’s a very bad idea,” he said, again breaking with Trump, who had left open the possibility that the U.S. might seek damages from China in late April. (Bolton was ousted from his White House position last year over policy disagreements with Trump.)
The possibility of using the courts to hold China accountable for the spread of the coronavirus has gained traction in recent weeks as people and governments reel over the consequences of the disease’s destruction. In the United States, the virus has been responsible for more than 80,000 deaths and millions of jobs lost.
Multiple states, including California, Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Missouri, have already filed suit in federal courts against China, seeking damages for victims who have died, become ill or lost jobs. They argue that victims were directly harmed by Beijing’s failure to share information and prevent the spread of the disease outside its borders, a charge Chinese state media has already denounced.
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