Asian currencies fall on fears about China virus

The onshore Chinese yuan slipped 0.4%, while the offshore unit weakened past 6.9 against the dollar, even as broader Asian equities and base metal prices dropped sharply on the news.

BENGALURU: Most Asian currencies slipped on Tuesday, as concerns about a new strain of coronavirus in China took a toll on risk appetite.

China reported a fourth death from the flu-like coronavirus as the number of cases continued to rise, sending jitters through Asian markets as hundreds of millions of Chinese are expected to travel for the Lunar New Year holiday.