Virus adds pressure on Chinese economy
Cinemas empty, high-speed train trips cancelled, tourist sites closed, an entire province shut down: The extraordinary measures taken by China to contain a deadly coronavirus threaten to dent an already fragile economy. With the world's numbertwo economy increasingly reliant on its consumers to drive growth, the virus has struck at the worst possible time with hundreds of millions of people fanned out across the country for the Lunar New Year holiday.
Gross domestic product expanded last year, its slowest pace in three decades, hit by weak domestic demand and the trade war with the United States. Still, figures in the final three months pointed to some stability and the recently signed trade pact with the US had provided further hope.
But Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said there wasn't "any doubt" the coronavirus outbreakwhich has killed more than 100 people-would deliver a fresh blow, warning that transport and broader consumption would be hit, including dining and retail.
The holiday has been extended by three days, meaning the country may slowly get back to business only from Monday. Some companies told employees to work from home or stay away, including tech giant Tencent, which told staff to work at home until February 10. Popular restaurant chain Haidilao will close all its restaurants in China until the end of the month.
The government has cancelled domestic and international group tours, a move that could have a serious impact on its tourism sector-a crucial industry worth 11 percent of the country's total GDP. Authorities recommended that all Chinese travellers put their trips abroad on hold "in order to protect the health and safety of
Chinese and foreign people"-bad news for the country's airline industry.
Railway volume and air traffic on the first day of the Lunar New Year were both down more than 40 percent on last year, according to the deputy transport minister.
Hundreds of high-speed trains-a popular mode of transportation in the vast country-have been suspended until February 9. Another growing sector-the film industry-has also taken a hit. China's box-office earnings for Lunar New Year's Eve were just onetenth of last year as people shunned cinema crowds, and seven key blockbusters set to be released during the holiday were cancelled.
Analysts at S&P say consumption contributed about 3.5 percentage points of China's growth rate in 2019, and warn that even a 10 percent drop in consumption would knock about 1.2 percentage points off GDP.
Stephen Innes, of AxiCorp, said it would not be until after the holiday that "the true extent of the carnage would be more evident".
The shutdown has been most serious in central Hubei province-the epicentre of the virus-where train stations have been closed, events cancelled and theatres, libraries and karaoke bars shut in some locations.