Coronavirus Pulling Down Stock Markets in Asia; China Not Pleased by U.S.' Reaction to the Virus Spread; China Slams U.S. Response to Coronavirus Outbreak
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Live from studio seven at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm George Howell.</s>ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rosemary Church. This is CNN Newsroom. Ahead this hour, coronavirus contagion. China's financial markets plunged as investors get their first chance to react to the Wuhan outbreak.</s>HOWELL: In London, police say the man suspected of two terror-related stabbings, he was released from prison just days ago after serving time for disturbing extremist material.</s>CHURCH: And hail to the Chiefs. Kansas City comes from behind for a thrilling Super Bowl win. Good to have you with us. So, we start with the Wuhan coronavirus spreading across China. And this word just coming in from China's foreign ministry which is slamming the U.S. for its response to the outbreak. It says, the U.S. is overreacting with its temporary travel ban and has not provided any substantial assistance to China.</s>HOWELL: This comes as the virus sends shock waves throughout the Chinese markets. Mainland China just wrapped up its first day of trading after the lunar New Year break and stocks plummeted there. The Shanghai Composite Index down almost 8 percent and the Shenzhen did even worse.</s>CHURCH: As markets fall, the number of infections keeps rising. China now confirms more than 17,000 cases and 361 people dead. That means this outbreak has killed more people in mainland China than SARS back in 2003.</s>HOWELL: And CNN covering every angle of this major story across East Asia.</s>CHURCH: Yes. CNN's Steve -- Steven Jiang is tracking the spread of the virus from Beijing, and journalist Kaori Enjoji is watching the markets from Tokyo. So, let's go to Steven first in Beijing. And Steven, more than 17,000 people infected as we said, how is China planning to contain and fight this virus?</s>STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Well, Rosemary, they are, of course trying to focus on their containment effort in the epicenter which is Hubei province. But interestingly, you mentioned some of the number, 17,000 cases here in China from this virus. But the foreign ministry that you mentioned, their statement slamming the U.S. They actually mentioned some members about the U.S. as well. A spokeswoman said look, this -- in this season alone the flu has infected 19 million Americans and killing some 10,000 according to the U.S. CDC. So it's very interesting the Chinese have really decided to come out and lash put at the Washington administration's response to this outbreak, with the spokeswoman using some very harsh language accusing the U.S. of going directly against the WHO advice not to impose travel or trade ban, and saying that U.S. is doing nothing but creating and feeding mass hysteria and fear around the country. It's -- the spokeswoman said the U.S. not only has not provided any assistance to China but was the first to evacuate its consulate staff in Wuhan, the first to start a partial withdraw of its embassy staff and also the first to impose this travel ban. I think this is really showing that Chinese government's growing concern that they are being increasingly isolated globally as the U.S. started this decision and followed of course by a number of, a growing number of other countries. This, of course is not only making a challenging for Chinese to go anywhere outside of -- outside of its borders but also having major economic consequences on a lot of Chinese companies. But still, of course, as of now, Rosemary, the Chinese authority's effort is in Hubei trying to contain the virus by making more testing kits available to make the confirmation results quicker for a lot of patients. They're also having more medical supplies and resources poured in from all over the country to Hubei by, for example, building two brand-new hospitals on the outskirts of Wuhan with the first one just opening on Sunday with more than 10,000 hospital beds and now ready to receive patients. Rosemary?</s>CHURCH: Yes. That has to be the number one focus here. Steven Jiang joining us from Beijing. Many thanks.</s>HOWELL: And now the view from Tokyo with journalist Kaori Enjoji following what's happening across Asia with this and the Markets. And certainly, the markets are plummeting.</s>KAORI ENJOJI, JOURNALIST: Yes, a vicious kneejerk reaction, George, as the Chinese equity market play catchup. This is the first-time trading is happening in Shanghai and Shenzhen since January 24th. And the Shanghai market just closed about an hour ago, it is down 7.8 percent, that is a huge selloff. It opened down more than 9 percent with hundreds of shares going limit down. But it's not just the equity markets in China. We are seeing commodity prices like oil, iron or steel. All of these sings -- things, excuse me, plummet as trade resumed after the lunar New Year holiday. You are seeing 10-year government bonds in China also move sharply lower. In response to this the central bank of plunk in a lot of liquidity into the short-term money markets to try and prevent a spike in interest rates. This is customary for all central banks at a time of crisis like this. I think the litmus -- litmus test, excuse me, will be to see how Wall Street opens. It already had a really bad week last week. Worst week in six weeks. So that reopen will be closely scrutinized. I mean, diplomacy aside, if the factories don't reopen up on the tenth in some parts of these areas and the 14th in areas like Wuhan, these are the two dates that we have now, this is going to be a huge challenge not just for the world's second largest economy, China. But all the companies around the world who rely on components that are manufactured in Wuhan. This is an industrial core for China. And let me just take one example. We recently heard from SsangYong Motor - this is the fourth largest South Korean automobile company. They say they are going to close their factories for seven days because they could get a wiring harness part. I mean, that may seem like just one component but I think that gives you a big picture of if you don't have that one particular part that maybe only manufactured in Wuhan where they can't get an alternative for a while, this is going to cause a major supply chain shortage. And when you consider the Chinese exports are just so much larger now than when the SARS epidemic broke out in 2003, the economy as a whole is a larger pie as well, this will have months of implications on the global economy. And I think that is what people are worried about and of course, the mental impact as well with consumers. Are they really going to open their purses after an incident like? Guys?</s>HOWELL: All right. We're seeing the impact certainly across Asia. And the question now, Kaori, to your point, how much further does that spread along with the virus that they're trying to contain. Kaori Enjoji, thank you for the report.</s>CHURCH: All right. We turn to Britain now where what should have been a routine day of Sunday shopping turned into a violent terror attack in South London.</s>HOWELL: That's right. Police say that a 20-year-old man stabbed two people in London. A third person injured by glass, shattered glass. That's when police open fire. They're already saying that they've been watching that suspect when the violence started.</s>CHURCH: And CNN's Nic Robertson joins us now from London with the very latest. So Nic, what more are you learning about this terror attack, and of course the suspect at the center of it?</s>NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, the suspect has been convicted in 2018, sentenced to more than three years in trail but the authorities released him just days ago on terrorism, from the terrorism charges. He was convicted of possession and distribution of terrorist-related material, including about stabbings. So, he was released because there was no legal authority to hold him. He was still considered a danger, and that's why there was an active police operation surveilling him at the time. It's not yet clear precisely why the events that transpired on this busy high street at 2 o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday took place there, why the police hadn't intervened with him at another location. Why the events unfolded then are not clear. The police shot him because he was wearing what appeared to be a suicide vest. Police later said that turned out to be a hoax. But what -- the picture that is emerging here for the authorities at least is very worryingly similar to the London Bridge attack in November of last year. And that is that a terror convict recently released from jail is still a threat to society and perpetrates an attack before he is shot dead by police. And we are expecting the British Prime Minister today, Boris Johnson, to make a statement about how he is going to handle this sensitive political issue, this very sensitive security issue of terror convicts being released from jail. And in some cases, released much earlier than their original sentences would dictate. The police also today searching three premises in and around London.</s>CHURCH: All right. Many thanks to our Nic Robertson bringing us the very latest there from London. I appreciate it.</s>HOWELL: A thrilling finish at Super Bowl 54. The Kansas City Chiefs rallied from behind, they accomplished something they haven't done in half a century.