Xi Jinping assures Malaysia’s Mahathir that China will minimise impact of coronavirus

China will definitely be able to minimise the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and will maintain the development momentum of its economy, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday. State media reported that Xi told Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in a telephone call that China has taken strict measures to curb the virus and treatment methods continue to see breakthroughs. “We will also be able to minimise the impact of the epidemic, maintain the momentum of China’s economic development and strive to achieve this year’s development goals and tasks,” the report paraphrased him as saying. Chinese policymakers have implemented a series of measures to support an economy jolted by the coronavirus outbreak, which is expected to have a devastating impact on first-quarter growth. Mahathir’s call with Xi came as Malaysia confirmed its 19th patient with the Covid-19 virus. The 39-year-old woman arrived from the city of Wuhan on January 25 and her case is linked to that of two other patients, who are the woman’s mother and her friend. Out of the 19 confirmed cases, 13 are Chinese nationals and six are Malaysian. Three of the 13 have been discharged. “The two Leaders spoke of mutual understanding and close cooperation to contain and overcome the epidemic, as well as to minimise its impact,” Malaysia’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement. “The Honourable Prime Minister conveyed Malaysia’s solidarity and steadfast support for China, and expressed confidence in every effort being undertaken by His Excellency President Xi and his government in this regard. His Excellency President Xi appreciated Malaysia’s friendship and assistance, and assured that China has the strength to fight the Covid-19 outbreak, and would care for Malaysians and other people who are currently in China like their own citizens.” Malaysia, which counts China as its largest trading partner, is also preparing to mitigate the economic impact of the virus outbreak. Coronavirus: Xi sends a message on economy and getting back to business Analysts expect trade and investment to suffer with the domestic tourism industry also taking a hit, while Mahathir is set to announce a stimulus package to help businesses, noting at a forum earlier this week that Chinese travellers made up a large proportion of tourist arrivals to the country. At least 50 airlines globally including Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia have suspended or cancelled flights to China as virus cases increase. More than 60,000 have been infected with over 1,300 dead, though the vast majority of these are in Hubei province, the epicentre of the contagion. Several countries have also closed their borders to all foreign nationals travelling from mainland China, including the US, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia, with the Philippines expanding this to include visitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Unlike its Southeast Asian counterparts, Malaysia has only banned visitors coming from China’s Hubei, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, following in the footsteps of Beijing’s decision to lock down cities in those provinces. Malaysian economic growth hits 10-year low as coronavirus fears loom China’s ambassador to Malaysia, in a commentary published by several domestic media outlets this week, praised Malaysia and Mahathir for their support of Beijing. Two weeks ago, Malaysia, the world’s largest producers of clinical gloves, donated 18 million gloves to China, which is facing a shortage of medical supplies. Bai Tian wrote that he was grateful for donations from Malaysians and had received video clips where they were chanting “Wuhan jiayou” (Keep on fighting, Wuhan). “Every word of support, every form of assistance helps. It demonstrates the unwavering brotherhood between China and Malaysia in times of adversity,” he wrote. China’s United Nations ambassador said on Wednesday that the Chinese government “is confident that it is capable of winning the fight” against the new virus, saying its efforts “are achieving positive results”. Zhang Jun called on the international community to maintain solidarity, increase sharing of information, experience and technology “and work with the Chinese government and people to jointly meet the challenges”. Purchase the China AI Report 2020 brought to you by SCMP Research and enjoy a 20% discount (original price US$400). This 60-page all new intelligence report gives you first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments and intelligence about China AI. Get exclusive access to our webinars for continuous learning, and interact with China AI executives in live Q&A. Offer valid until 31 March 2020.