President Xi Jinping says China's measures to prevent and control the novel coronavirus are achieving visible and positive results.
He made the remarks in separate phone talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Xi Jinping has expressed gratitude to both leaders for their support to China in its fight against the epidemic.
He says China will remain open and transparent in its cooperation with other countries to contain the global spread of the virus.
Both Johnson and Macron have spoken highly of China's measures to prevent and control the epidemic.
They say their countries stand ready to provide China with more support and assistance.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is travelling to Laos today for the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Coronavirus.
The meeting, to be co-chaired by Wang and the Philippine Foreign Secretary, will also be attended by other ASEAN foreign ministers.
The Chinese foreign minister will also co-chair the fifth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting and pay a visit to the country.
The World Health Organization Director General says there's been no evidence suggesting a sustained local transmission of the novel coronavirus outside China, except in some specific situations.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the WHO does not have enough data on cases outside China to make a meaningful comparison on the disease's severity or the fatality rate.
"We are following up with countries to get more information about what happens about each case and the outcome. However, we have not yet seen the sustained local transmission except in specific circumstances like the Diamond Princess Cruise ship."
The Diamond Princess Cruise ship with over 3,700 passengers and crew on board has been kept in a two-week quarantine period off a port in Japan after an 80-year-old passenger was found infected with the coronavirus.
So far the number of confirmed infections from the ship has risen to 542.
China's central SOEs are striving to resume production to make up for losses caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
Officials say over 80 percent of these SOE's production subsidiaries have resumed work, with the rate being more than 95 percent in the petrochemical, communication, electricity, and transport sectors.
U.N. secretary general Antonio Guterres has urged key countries involved in the conflict in Syria to push for a ceasefire and peace agreement to "stop the suffering of the Syrian people."
"Well, we are witnessing, indeed, dramatic situations in Syria and so I believe this is the moment in which we need to have a ceasefire."
The U.N. warns that the most recent exodus of refugees in the Idlib province risks being the biggest humanitarian disaster of the 21st century.
A main rival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the prime minister cannot carry out his state duties after his corruption trial next month.
Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz made the remarks during a campaign rally ahead of Israel's elections on March 2nd.
Gantz says Netanyahu will be unable to fully focus on state-related matters during the trial, adding that he needs to be replaced.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has paid a visit to an Artificial Intelligence Center at a university in Brussels.
The move is in preparation for the commission's launch of a white paper on AI guidelines and data strategy for Europe.
Von der Leyen experimented with various AI tools including a robot that can identify colors, an automated wheelchair and a virtual reality headset.
She says it's amazing to see the opportunities that AI can bring.
"Here was a fantastic example to see that we can do a lot, that AI is helping people in their daily lives, supporting and really bringing things forward. So this is perfect, to see that. And here, in this research area, you see also the combination of European funding, national funding and regional funding, which is as it has to be."
The rules to govern the use of AI in the European Union will be announced later today.
Hundreds of people have gathered in the Danish capital to attend the Copenhagen Light Festival.
A green laser beam stretching almost four kilometers across the city sky will stay lit during the entire festival.
Danish artist Martin Ersted:
"It gives people a whole other perspective on the city, because suddenly you see the beam, and suddenly you don't see it. It kind of plays with the skies above you."
This is the third year of the annual festivel and it will last until the end of the month.