Philippines' Duterte says xenophobia against Chinese must stop

FILE PHOTO: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures during his fourth State of the Nation Address at the Philippine Congress in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines July 22, 2019. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

MANILA (Reuters) - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday urged Philippine citizens to stop stirring up anti-Chinese xenophobia related to the outbreak of a coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China, in December and has since killed more than 300 and infected more than 17,000.

The coronavirus outbreak has stoked a wave of anti-China sentiment around the globe, from shops barring entry to Chinese tourists, online mocking or the country's exotic meat trade and surprise health checks on foreign workers.