MNI China Press Digest, March 19: Politburo, Deficit, US-China

     BEIJING (MNI) - The following lists highlights from Chinese press reports

on Thursday:

     Businesses should gradually resume operations in Wuhan, the epicenter of

the coronavirus outbreak, and Chinese local governments should facilitate the

movement of people from Hubei province to other parts of the country, according

to the readout from yesterday's Politburo meeting of the standing committee. The

meeting announced that people traveling between low risk locations will not need

to impose self-isolation and low risk provinces should promote life returning to

normal. China would also step up measures to deal with cases entering China from

other countries.

     China should increase its deficit to GDP ratio as an expansionary fiscal

policy to boost the economy, according to the China Securities Journal. In a

commentary published on the front page, the Journal said risks from higher

government debt are controllable and the deficit ratio is relatively low,

providing ample room for an increase.

     The US media should turn to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for justice and

China does not wish to see any more mutual expulsions of journalists between the

two countries, the Global Times said in its editorial. China will not concede if

the US carries out further retaliations, the Times said. The editorial said the

media plays a different role in the two societies as they have different

political systems, and this has nothing to do with expelling Chinese journalists

in the U.S.

--MNI Beijing Bureau; +86 (10) 8532-5998; email: archie.zhang@marketnews.com

--MNI Sydney Bureau; +61 405322399; email: lachlan.colquhoun.ext@marketnews.com

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