2020 Beijing motor show cancelled

The continued spread of coronavirus has forced organisers of the 2020 Beijing motor show to axe the event.

According to the Beijing motor show website, organisers will seek to find a new date for the event in future.

Originally scheduled to take place on April 21, the Beijing motor show (aka Auto China 2020) is the latest high profile automotive event to succumb to the deadly coronavirus, or COVID-19.

It follows the cancellation of this week's Geneva motor show, which has left car brands scrambling to find alternate promotional avenues to launch their latest and greatest products, most of them expected to hold smaller reveals live streamed online.

The coronavirus death toll is almost at 3000, with the vast majority of those in mainland China. To date, about 90,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally.

South Korea has the second-most reported cases of the virus, at about 3500, with Italy third at roughly 1700 cases.

According to organisers, the cancellation of the Beijing motor show was to "ensure the health and safety of exhibitors and participants".

Event organisers say they will "postpone the event", but until a vaccine for COVID-19 arrives it's unlikely a date will be set.

As the virus continues to make inroads in Europe, it is starting to affect major sporting events too, with the first round of the MotoGP cancelled in Qatar. Moto2 and Moto3 support categories will be run due to those classes already being in Qatar this week for pre-season testing.

There's even talk that F1 races may face challenges this year.

The virus is putting the brakes on many globalised industries, including automotive, as the shutting of Chinese, Japanese and Korean cars and parts factories begins to affect supply chains in other parts of the world.