Coronavirus deals China's economy a 'bigger blow than global financial crisis'

Factory production plummets at the fastest pace seen in three decades, as first-quarter figures emerge

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China has suffered even deeper economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic than predicted, with figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday showing factory production inside the country dropped at the fastest pace seen in three decades.

Financial analysts have said the economic impact of the pandemic may have cut China's growth in half during the first quarter.