China's foreign minister is set to meet his Southeast Asian peers in Laos on Thursday for crisis talks over the coronavirus which has seeded panic and constricted economies dependent on the flow of goods and tourists.

Wang Yi will hold talks with counterparts from the 10 Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries in Vientiane in a hastily-convened meeting over the health scare.

China's foreign ministry has described the summit as part of a "tradition of supporting each other through thick and thin".

A similar meeting was held in 2003 following the outbreak of SARS.

Originating in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the new coronavirus -- known as COVID-19 -- has killed more than 2,000 people, the majority within China.

The government has locked down tens of millions of people in several virus-hit cities, extended Lunar New Year holidays and pulled flights in a scramble to contain the virus.

Still the health scare has cascaded across Southeast Asia, with cases recorded in the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam have restricted flights from the mainland and suspended visa-free arrivals as health screening ramps up at entry points.

Thailand, which has imposed no such restrictions, reported a 90 percent slump in arrivals from the mainland this month, a gut punch to an already beleaguered tourist sector which makes up nearly a fifth of the economy.

Thailand anticipates a loss of over $8 billion by year's end from the tourist tail-off.

In Laos, Beijing will be eager to "project regional solidarity with its anti-pandemic efforts" a Southeast Asian diplomat told AFP, declining to be named.

China sees ASEAN as its backyard and has ramped up economic, diplomatic and cultural influence over recent years with billions of dollars of investment, tourist outflows and a bigger presence at regional summits.

There are fears prolonged disruption by the virus could slow work on the massive China-backed 'Belt and Road' schemes which criss-cross ASEAN.

burs-dhc/apj/rma

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Turkey says differences over Syria 'shouldn't affect' ties with Russia
Ankara (AFP) Feb 15, 2020
Turkey on Saturday said differences over Syria "shouldn't affect" relations with Russia, local media reported, after both countries' foreign ministers met in Munich. "The differences of opinion in Syria shouldn't affect Turkey-Russia relations. The situation in Idlib will not affect the S-400 agreement," broadcaster NTV reported Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying. Turkey purchased the Russian S-400 air defence system despite opposition from NATO ally the United States and the th ... read more