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China's national legislature started its annual session in Beijing on Friday morning.
Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders attended the opening meeting of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress, held at the Great Hall of the People.
They joined other deputies to the National People's Congress to pay a silent tribute to martyrs who died fighting COVID-19 and compatriots who lost their lives in the outbreak.
Premier Li Keqiang, in delivering the government report, says the country will redouble its efforts to minimize the losses resulting from the virus.
China has not set a specific economic growth target for this year.
This is according to a government work report submitted to the national legislature for deliberation on Friday.
It says the decision was made because the country still face some factors that are difficult to predict in its development due to the great uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the world economic and trade environment.
China will give priority to stabilizing employment and ensuring living standards.
China aims to add over 9 million new urban jobs in 2020, and keep the surveyed urban unemployment rate at around 6 percent.
The country will ensure the elimination of poverty among all rural residents living below the current poverty line and in all poor counties.
The report says China's deficit-to-GDP ratio this year is projected at more than 3.6 percent.
The deficit increase is projected at 1 trillion yuan, or about 141 billion U.S. dollars, over last year.
The government also plans to issue 1 trillion yuan of bonds for COVID-19 control.
Over 1 million pieces of advice have been solicited during the compilation of China's proposed civil code.
The draft code will be submitted to the third session of the 13th National People's Congress for deliberation.
The draft has seven parts and touches on areas including property, contracts and marriage.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian says China opposes U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
He made the remarks when responding to a question that the U.S. government has notified Congress of a possible sale of advanced torpedoes worth 180 million U.S. dollars to Taiwan.
He says China is urging the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués.
President Donald Trump says the U.S. is withdrawing from the Treaty on Open Skies.
It is the country's latest move to abandon a major international arms control agreement.
"Russia and us have developed very good relationship, as you know, we worked on the oil problem together. I think we have a very good relationship with Russia. But Russia didn't adhere to the treaty. So until they adhere, we will pull out. But, there's a very good chance we'll make a new agreement or do something to put that agreement back together."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says her country is awaiting official clarifications from the U.S. on pulling out of the treaty before commenting further on the issue.
The treaty, which became effective in 2002, allows its state-parties to conduct short-notice, unarmed reconnaissance flights over the others' entire territories to collect data on military forces and activities.
Currently, 35 nations, including Russia, the U.S., and some other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, have signed it.
A new study says if the U.S. had imposed social distancing measures a week earlier in March, around 36,000 people who died from COVID-19 could have been saved.
These are the findings a study done by Colombia University.
The study also found that about 83 percent of the deaths would have been avoided if the country had begun locking down cities and limiting social contact by March 1st.
Most Americans started staying at home and observing social distancing in the middle of March.
The researchers found that even small differences in timing would have prevented growth in cases and casualties.
Confirmed coronavirus cases in Africa have surpassed 95,000.
The Africa CDC says the number of positive cases rose by 3,600 between Wednesday and Thursday.
Nearly 3,000 people have died from the coronavirus so far and over 38,000 have recovered.
South Africa remains the most impacted country with over 18,000 cases followed by Egypt with over 14,000.
Countries with over 7,000 positive cases include Algeria and Morocco.
Nestle has announced an additional investment of 730 million yuan in China.
The company and local authorities in Tianjin will cooperate to build a facility that makes plant-based products, and boost the capacity of its local pet food factory.
Nestle opened its first factory in Tianjin in 1994.
