The street market in Ubud, Bali was unusually quiet on a recent afternoon. “At this time of day, Chinese tourists would normally be crowding through here,” said Ketut, who sells bags and wooden crafts to tourists. His sales have halved since the coronavirus outbreak began in January.
The loss of the China trade has hit south-east Asian economies particularly hard, as tourist groups pull out, Chinese suppliers halt deliveries to manufacturers and imports of everything from Thai and Malaysian electronic equipment to Vietnamese dragon fruit grind to a halt.
The crisis has laid bare just how dependent these countries are on the world’s second-largest economy, a top trading partner and source of foreign visitors for countries across the region.