The public blames China for the spread of the coronavirus and overwhelmingly supports the idea of suing the Chinese government for damages, if it can be shown to have breached international law, according to new polling.

A new Henry Jackson Society think tank poll quizzed British citizens, while new polling from Scott Rasmussen highlights the American sentiment towards China and the coronavirus.

From the UK:

• 74% of British adults believe “the Chinese Government is to blame for allowing COVID-19 to spread”. Just 19% believe it is not to blame;
• 71% of the public would support the British Government suing China in international court “if it became evident that the Chinese government breached international law in responding to the initial outbreak and spread of COVID-19”. Just 6% would oppose such action;
• More British adults now oppose Huawei’s role in the UK’s 5G network than support it.  40% of British adults oppose allowing the firm to build the UK’s network, just 27% support it.  The proportion who oppose allowing Huawei a role rises to 51% amongst Conservative voters in the 2019 election;
• 69% of the British public believe that the virus began in a wet market in Wuhan, China;
• 83% of the public believe that the British Government should demand an international inquiry into the response of the Chinese Government to the COVID-19 crisis;
• 45% of the public believe that the Chinese Government is mainly to blame for the damage caused in the UK by Coronavirus. 15% believe the UK government is mainly to blame and 31% believe that the UK and Chinese Government’s are equally to blame.

Commenting, Dr Alan Mendoza, co-author of Coronavirus Compensation? said: “When the Henry Jackson Society issued our landmark report outlining possible legal actions to be taken against China over the spread of Coronavirus, we did so from the perspective of seeking justice. The British public clearly agrees this should be a priority.”

Meanwhile, Scott Rasmussen published new polling from the United States which highlights the following trends:

• Sixty-nine percent (69%) of voters believe the Chinese government made the global pandemic worse by withholding important research and releasing false information;
• Only 10% of people believe the information coming out of China is “truthful and reliable”, while 39% say its not, and 50% remain unsure.