Finance & economics | Viral injections

Companies warn of an economic crisis as China battles coronavirus

The government steps up support, not to boost growth but to ensure social stability

Awaiting a cure
|SHANGHAI

RARELY HAVE plans in China fallen apart so swiftly and so publicly. On January 12th the leaders of Hubei declared that the province’s GDP would grow by 7.5% this year. They made no mention of a new virus fast spreading through its towns and cities. But less than two weeks later it could not be ignored. They placed the province under quarantine, hemming in over 50m people and rendering this year’s flashy growth target almost certainly unreachable.

This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Viral injections”

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