An interesting perspective from Shanghai, where I have some...

An interesting perspective from Shanghai, where I have some industry contacts. These are people who have unfettered access to outside news as well as Chinese news, news from professional networks in different provinces, and Weibo updates.

The fear is very real and there's a heightened sense of risk. They're reacting like we do with a bad fire season - prepare for the worst, help out their neighbours, support the people on the frontline and hope that the government has its act together. They're intensely proud (like we are of our firies) of the people who have gone into danger zones, some of whom have died. They think they're heroes, and I think they are probably right.

There's a confidence though, and little hysteria - at least at managerial level. After a slow start in Wuhan and Hubei, they feel that the Chinese government has acted pretty decisively to contain the spread. I'm not getting a sense that there's a massive secret story of under-reporting of illness or death, but that's always a possibility. They know there's a long way to go yet though.

If you're in business, now is a good time to offer support and/or talk about future business with China. They're aware where the misinformation is coming from, and who is taking the opportunity to kick them when they're down. Also aware who is seeing them as people who are like us, coping with a massive crisis like our year's summer of bushfires, and people who will always regard them with no empathy as "other" and outsiders.