Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been sued by a civil rights group for calling COVID-19 the "China virus."

The complaint, filed in a federal court in New York by the Chinese Americans Civil Rights Coalition (CACRC), claims Trump's use of the derogatory terms contributed to the recent rise in violence against Chinese and other Asian Americans.

The CACRC is asking Trump to pay a symbolic $1 to every Asian American and Pacific Islander living in the United States as an apology, which would total $22.9 million.

The plaintiffs said they would use the money to establish a museum that will showcase the history of Asian American and Pacific Islanders communities and their contribution to the United States.

(With input from Xinhua)