FREE now SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Make the most of your money by signing up to our newsletter fornow We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

The UK Government is spending close to £1trillion as it desperately tries to protect a creaking economy and millions of jobs. But the coronavirus outbreak is quickly sending the economy tumbling towards a recession that is forecast to be even more damaging than the 2009 financial crisis and one of the most severe in over 100 years. The coronavirus pandemic has triggered a huge collapse in consumer demand, with many businesses forced to close or significantly scale down their operations.

The UN's trade and development agency has warned the slowdown in the global economy could cost as much as £800billion. This has led to many politicians and business leaders throughout the world pointing the blame at China - where coronavirus originated late last year - and in particular, at President Xi Jinping. Beijing has been accused of engineering a cover-up that played down the seriousness of the outbreak. China is alleged to have not informed the World Health Organisation for months that it was a new version of the coronavirus, and one that was much more transmittable. Please sign up to pledge your support now to our brave NHS Heroes

Boris Johnson has been told to demand China pay outbreak costs

The Prime Minister has introduced several strict lockdown measures

Express.co.uk readers are furious, and have demanded the UK punish China for its actions. The poll, which ran from 1pm until 10pm on April 8 and saw 4,003 votes cast, asked whether Boris Johnson should force China to pay for costs from the coronavirus outbreak. A huge 92.5 percent (3,702 readers) demanded China pay for costs, with just six percent (240 readers) disagreeing. The remaining 1.5 percent (61 readers) selected "don't know". One furious reader wrote: "It is China’s fault. READ MORE: Macron crisis as France bracing for worst economic collapse since WW2

Coronavirus originated from China towards the end of last year

"They are responsible for thousands of deaths around the world and the cause of a future global recession." Another person commented: "We could start by not giving the HS2 contract and the 5G contract and can take that offer of a free trade deal off the table. "An untrained eye would think our government are trying to reward them for something." A third reader said: "China is a rogue state and after this is all over we must stop trading with them and buying their cheap shoddy goods. DON'T MISS

Coronavirus UK: Tributes pour in for 29-year-old NHS cancer nurse [COMMENT]

EU warning: Bloc's future 'NOT looking good' after leaders lock horns [POLL]

Global financial crash: Horror warning as trade could plunge by third [INTERVIEW]

Coronavirus has spread to around 200 countries

President Xi Jinping has been accused of covering up the outbreak

"There really need to have a sharp strong message from the whole world that they must start behaving responsibly and give respect to their many neighbours." Coronavirus has spread to some 200 countries, with more than 1.5 million confirmed cases and close to 90,000 deaths from the killer outbreak. Dozens of countries have been forced to introduce strict lockdown measures in a desperate attempt to contain the virus, costing billions of pounds in lost trade and production.

Coronavirus UK: The pandemic continues to spread quickly throughout the world

Trending