The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee held a meeting on the prevention and control of the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus.

1,287 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, including 237 in critical conditions, had been reported by the end of Friday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that it was "too early" to declare the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China a public health emergency of international concern.

China has sent 450 military medical staff, including professionals who have experience in the fight against SARS or Ebola, to the novel coronavirus hardest-hit city of Wuhan.

As written procedures demand, the UK will leave the EU at midnight on Jan. 31.

China had built 130,000 5G base stations by the end of last year, and shipments of 5G smartphones had topped 13.77 million.

As cases of the new coronavirus grow on the Chinese mainland, producers of all seven big films once scheduled for the lucrative Spring Festival holiday announced they would cancel screening on Thursday.