Facing quake impact

The earthquake in Sichuan province will put the resilience of the Chinese economy to test again.

Optimists predict that its impact on China's economic growth will be temporary and limited, citing the relatively small proportion of the local economy in the country's gross industrial output and exports.

But the fact that the worst earthquake China suffered in 32 years came only months after the severest winter in 50 years hit central and southern China and disrupted production does not allow policymakers to be too Panglossian.