China envoy to UK on outbreak, Johnson-Xi call

The Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming admitted on Tuesday that the outbreak of a new virus will have an impact on the Chinese economy.

Speaking to UK broadcaster Sky News, Liu said travel restrictions imposed due to the newly identified type of coronavirus were also hitting Britain's tourism industry.

But he stressed the negative impact would only be "short-term and temporary".

Liu hoped the UK would soon change its Foreign Office advice urging its nationals to leave China as his country's measures to contain the virus were "making progress".

The ambassador also said Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had a "good conversation" in a phone call earlier on Tuesday.