2020年CRI 报道称新冠病毒去年夏天或已在意传播 美国宣布减少阿富汗和伊拉克驻军（在线收听）

Chinese President is calling on BRICS countries to promote sustainable development across the world.

He made the call at the latest summit of the bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

President Xi Jinping has called for international solidarity and cooperation in jointly coping with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He says China will more actively integrate into the global market and deepen international cooperation to create more opportunities and room for world economic recovery and development.

Tuesday's video meeting was hosted by Russia, which holds the rotating BRICS presidency this year.

The Chinese premier is calling for more effective and sustainable efforts to promote steady economic recovery.

Li Keqiang made the remarks when presiding over a symposium on the economic situation.

He says more targeted policies should be rolled out to support market entities, especially to smaller firms and individual businesses.

He also calls on companies to adapt to the upgrades in economic structures and consumer spending to provide higher-end products and services that can meet county-level demands.

He says the country will also further boost its high-level opening up.

Authorities in Xinjiang have decided to downgrade Shufu County to low-risk for COVID-19.

This comes as the region has reported no new confirmed or asymptomatic cases for nine consecutive days.

Sixty-three patients have been discharged from hospitals and over 240 asymptomatic cases have been released from medical observation in Xinjiang since October 24th, when the latest cluster infections began.

Xinjiang has 15 existing confirmed cases and over 100 asymptomatic ones as of Monday.

The Chinese government is calling for global cooperation on tracing the origins of the novel coronavirus.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks after reports said that the virus likely began spreading in Italy in September last year, before the first-known case emerged in China.

"The report once again proves that tracing the origin of the virus is a complicated scientific issue which should be solved by scientists via international research and cooperation to promote the understanding of the animal hosts and transmission routes of the virus. This will help better prevent the future risk of outbreaks as well as to protect the safety and health of people around the world."

The spokesperson is calling on all countries to strengthen cooperation with the World Health Organization on tracing the source of the virus.

He adds that China will continue to take part in that global process and contribute to global cooperation on COVID-19 control.

Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller introduced plans to reduce U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"By January 15th, 2021, our forces, their size in Afghanistan will be two thousand five hundred troops. Our force size in Iraq will also be two thousand five hundred by that same date. This is consistent with our established plans and strategic objectives supported by the American people and does not equate to a change in US policy or objectives."

The United States currently has 4,500 troops in deployed Afghanistan and about 3,000 in Iraq.

French authorities say the daily increase in COVID-19 infections has begun to drop, urging a high level of vigilance to maintain the momentum.

Health Minister Olivier Veran says a downward trend of daily new cases has been underway for two weeks.

The minister calls on the people to remain careful to prevent the situation from getting worse again.

He says it's still too early for shops to reopen and for people to make plans for Christmas holidays.

The country has so far confirmed about two million cases, including more than 45-thousand deaths.

Sao Paulo, Brazil has decided to extend its lockdown until Dec. 16, due to a rise in hospitalizations from COVID-19.

The most populous state in Brazil has been the hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, with more than 40,000 deaths.

The state's secretary of health has announced that more restrictive measures will be taken if the rates of infection, hospitalization and death keep rising.