We’re getting more on President Xi Jinping’s phone call with Donald Trump from the Associated Press:
China’s official news agency says President Xi Jinping has urged the US to respond reasonably to the virus outbreak in a phone call with President Donald Trump.
China’s foreign ministry has previously complained that the US was flying its citizens out of the worst-hit city of Wuhan but not providing any assistance to China.
More generally, China has said other countries, many of whom have imposed travel bans or quarantines on travellers from China, should follow WHO recommendations on reacting proportionately to the threat.
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North Korea reports first case of virus
North Korea has reported its first case of the coronavirus, according to South Korean media.
The patient, a woman from Pyongyang, recently returned to the North from China, the Joongang Ilbo, a daily newspaper, said on Friday, citing state-run media.
The reports did not give details of when the woman was diagnosed or her state of health.
The country has taken several measures to guard against the disease – which has affected all of its neighbours – amid warnings that an epidemic could put an intolerable strain on its poor healthcare infrastructure.
North Korea has suspended flights from China and Russia and closed train routes across its borders with those two countries and. It has also imposed a ban on foreign tourism and suspended operations at a liaison office it runs with South Korea just north of the demilitarised zone, the heavily armed border separating North and South Korea.
The country’s authorities have stepped up border inspections and health screenings of North Koreans returning from overseas business trips, according to the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the ruling Workers’ party.
The newspaper said 30,000 health workers had been mobilised to monitor residents and distribute advice on how the disease spreads and how to avoid becoming infected.
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S&P slashes forecast for China’s economic growth
The ratings agency S&P has slashed its forecast of China’s economic growth for this year by 0.75 percentage points, saying the coronavirus will deliver a big temporary hit to the country’s economy that will spill over to the whole world.
S&P said it now forecast Chinese GDP growth of 5%, down from its previous estimate of 5.7%, but cautioned that it was less confident in its figures than usual because of continuing uncertainty over the severity of the outbreak.
This will flow through to the global economy because China accounts for a third of worldwide growth, S&P said.
“The global impact will be felt through four real economy channels: sharply reduced tourism revenues, lower exports of consumer and capital goods, lower commodity prices, and industrial supply-chain disruptions,” it said.
“If the virus cannot be contained, a material risk, the economic impact could develop exponentially with significant credit implications.”
The agency said it expected a rebound next year that would make up lost ground, increasing its estimate of 2021 GDP growth from 5.6% to 6.4%.
S&P said it expected travel restrictions to ease from next month.
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Toyota has extended the closure of its 12 factories in China by a week.
The Japanese carmaker had planned to reopen its car and component-making plants this weekend but will now keep them shuttered until 16 February “after considering various factors, including guidelines from local and region governments, parts supply, and logistics”.
Australian PM ‘strongly suggests’ citizens take commercial flights out of China if possible
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