Ma Xiaowei

China retained its central bank chief on Feb. 12 in a surprise move, as the country appointed a cabinet focused on fighting economic headwinds.

Yi Gang was confirmed as governor of the People's Bank of China at a meeting of China's rubber-stamp national legislature, against expectations that retirement-age Yi would step down.

The death toll from a new virus has risen to 80 with more than 2,700 confirmed cases, China's government said on Jan. 27, after the health minister warned that the virus's ability to "spread is getting stronger."

China also on Jan. 27 extended the Lunar New Year holiday by 3 days to next Sunday in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.