Hello and welcome to the Intelligence on Economist Radio. I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

Every weekday we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

The passenger aircraft division of Boeing has been deeply troubled since the grounding of

its fleet of 737 MAX planes. The company's huge space and defense division used to carry

it through hard times, but it too is losing altitude.

And democratic contenders will be standing tall at tonight's debate, some taller than

others. We take a look at why height, whether perceived or real has such a strong effect on

politicians' prospects.

But first, China's government has gone to extraordinary lengths to limit the spread

of the coronavirus, and the new infection rate does seem to be falling. But more than 75,000

people are now believed to have been infected by the virus, more than 2,000 have died.

Controls on the movement of people are strictly enforced. This week authorities even went

as far as disinfecting money. Businesses are restricting office hours or being forced to

close altogether indefinitely. But one of the untold stories of China's tight controls

is about their effects on migrant workers, who last month made an annual trek from the

cities to their home villages for the spring festival, and are still there.

So we've seen a lot of national statistics about sort of idol factories and suspended

supply chains, because a lot of migrant workers can't get back to the big cities where they

work.

David Renny is the economist's Beijing Bureau Chief, himself now under quarantine in the

country's capital.

I thought it was worth talking to individuals who are actually going through that,

...