MNI China Press Digest, March 9: Virus, Employment, Car Sales

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

on Monday:

     No new local cases of the COVID-19 virus have been reported outside of the

epicentre of Wuhan City for the first time since the epidemic appeared, Economic

Daily reports. Citing information from a briefing on Sunday, the Daily's report

says three new cases confirmed outside of Hubei province were cases imported

from overseas. Citing Mi Feng, a spokesman for the National Health Commission,

the Daily says the development of the epidemic outside of China and imported

cases continue to add risks and pressures to China's ability to control the

epidemic.

     A total of 78 million migrant workers were back at work in China as of last

Friday and all migrant workers will have moved back to the cities where they

work by the first half of April, according to the Economic Information Daily.

Citing Zhang Ying, the director of the employment promotion department at the

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Daily said the central

government had helped companies find 298 thousand workers since February.

     Chinese provinces with large automotive industries and good local fiscal

conditions such as Guangdong, Zhejiang and Shanghai are likely to roll out

measures to boost new car purchases, the China Securities Journal reported.

Citing analysts, the Journal's report said potential measures included

relaxations on car license limits and subsidies for buying electric vehicles or

cars which meet the latest emission standards. 

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

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

[TOPICS: M$A$$$,M$Q$$$,MI$$$$]