Senior Chinese leaders joined lawmakers' panel discussions Thursday, calling on officials at various levels to make more efforts to serve the people and improve the Party's governance capability.

"We shall concentrate our efforts to solve the problems which concern people's direct and practical interest," said Chinese President Hu Jintao at the panel discussion of the NPC deputies from northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, a major habitat of the country's Hui ethnic group.

Hu, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), vowed that the country will adhere to and improve the system of regional autonomy of ethnic groups, and accelerate economic and social development there.

While exchanging views with deputies from the southwestern municipality of Chongqing, Premier Wen Jiabao pointed out that the new challenges the country has to face has brought an imperative demand on the reform of the government.

"To quicken the step in transforming government functions is where the key lies," said the Premier.

Vice President Zeng Qinghong and senior CPC official Wu Guanzheng talked about upholding the scientific conception on development and enhancing disciplines on civil servants in the NPC deputies' group from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Shaanxi Province respectively.

Wen Jiabao, Zeng Qinghong and Wu Guanzheng are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

The 10th National People's Congress (NPC), the Chinese legislature, is holding its annual full session in Beijing, bringing together more than 2,900 lawmakers.

(Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2006)