President Xi Jinping had warned Communist Party cadres of black swans and gray rhinos a year ago, as China headed into a year ending with a "9." (Nikkei Montage/ Source photos by Reuters, Getty Images and Xinhua/Kyodo)

Xi's prediction of a cursed year came true

Coronavirus proves black swans fly in years ending in '9'

KATSUJI NAKAZAWA, Nikkei senior staff writer

February 27, 2020 04:00 JST

TOKYO -- As the official name COVID-19 suggests, the coronavirus disease raging across the world originated in 2019.

In China, where superstition commands significant influence, netizens had talked about their fear of 2019 becoming a cursed year because it ended in a "9."