Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, chaired a leadership meeting on Friday to review the draft of the 2020 government work report a week before the annual session of the 13th National People's Congress.

During the meeting, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee commended the government's work in the past year, especially in making an all-out effort in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic and achieving considerable results in containment, while admitting that China faces unprecedented challenges amid the global pandemic.

The CPC leading body stressed that the government must stay vigilant with consistent epidemic prevention and control measures throughout the rest of the year and enhance support for the economy, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus. 

The meeting said the government should make fiscal policies more active and effective, make monetary policies more flexible in the second half of the year in order to fend off economic risks, and step up macro-economic policy adjustments to help companies and ensure and expand employment.

China will lift everyone out of poverty and build a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the end of 2020, the meeting noted. The target of poverty alleviation must be met as planned so as to improve agricultural output and farmers' income, it added. 

It also said the government should continue opening-up to stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment. 

The government work report will be submitted to the third session of the 13th NPC, scheduled to open on May 22, by the State Council, China's cabinet.