* Markets arrest slide as authorities tackle spread of virus
* Chinese stocks plunge, then pare losses
* WHO meets Wednesday to consider severity of outbreak
* Oil recovers from Libyan supply jitters
* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
By Tom Westbrook
SINGAPORE, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Asian stock markets recovered
ground on Wednesday as China's response to a virus outbreak
tempered some fears of a global pandemic, although Shanghai
shares initially slipped amid worries about a hit to domestic
demand and tourism.
Worries about contagion, particularly as millions travel for
Lunar New Year festivities, have knocked stocks from record
peaks.
The outbreak has revived memories of the Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2002-03, a coronavirus
outbreak that killed nearly 800 people and hurt world travel.
Yet this time, China's response and candour - in contrast to
the initial cover-up of the SARS outbreak - have helped reassure
investors concerned about the possible global fallout.
China's National Health Commission said on Wednesday there
were 440 cases of the new virus, with nine deaths so far.
Measures are now in place to minimise public gatherings in the
most-affected regions. The Shanghai Composite index .SSEC recovered from an early
1.4% drop to trade 0.01% higher.
Markets elsewhere advanced, while safe assets such as gold,
bonds and the Japanese yen handed back some of Tuesday's gains.
The MSCI index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS rose 0.71%, recouping almost half Tuesday's
drop.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 , South Korea's Kospi index .KS11
and Hong Kong's Hang Seng .HSI all rose by more than half a
percentage point.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 .AXJO shrugged off worries to hit
a fresh record high. E-mini S&P 500 futures ESc1 rose 0.5% and
EUROSTOXX 50 futures .STXEc1 advanced 0.4%.
"The call here is not that the virus is done or nipped in
the bud by any means," said Kay Van-Petersen, global macro
strategist at Saxo Capital Markets.
"But there have been no big further reported outbreaks, and
the response from the Chinese authorities has been very, very
positive ... China is 1.4 billion people. This is not the first
time they're tackling a bug that's gotten out of hand."
The outbreak, from its origin in Wuhan, China, has reached
the United States, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
Cases have been confirmed in 13 Chinese provinces.
The World Health Organization (WHO) meets later on Wednesday
to consider whether the outbreak is an international emergency.
SARS FLASHBACK
Airlines, other travel-exposed stocks and retailers
vulnerable to shifts in consumer sentiment have borne the brunt
of selling in the past two days along with the Chinese yuan.
MSCI's airline industry index .dMIWO0AL00P posted its
biggest daily drop in more than three months on Tuesday and
shares in the industry were still falling on Wednesday.
"While details on the coronavirus are scant, we reckon that
the SARS period could offer some clues as to how markets could
pan out," said analysts at Singapore's DBS Bank.
"The trends are clear: Yields and stock prices fell in the
first few months of the SARS outbreak and rebounded thereafter."
So far, the yield on U.S. 10-year government bonds has
stabilised after Tuesday's drop, sitting a little firmer at
1.7883% US10YT=RR . US/
Spot gold XAU= also gave back some gains to trade 0.3%
weaker at $1,553.22 per ounce.
In currencies, the safe-haven yen JPY= eased slightly from
the one-week high it touched overnight, although the yuan eased
slightly in the onshore market CNY=CFXS to 6.8997 per dollar.
Oil prices also settled back as traders figured a
well-supplied global market would be able to absorb disruptions
that have cut Libya's crude production to a trickle. O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 was down 0.31% at $64.39 a barrel and
U.S. oil CLc1 fell 0.43% to $58.13 a barrel.