President Jiang Zemin yesterday stressed the need to develop modern industries and restructure the old industrial bases where most large State-owned enterprises are located.

Joining the panel discussion with deputies from Jilin Province in Northeast China at the ongoing session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC), Jiang said the central government would fully support the modernization drives of the industrial bases, so that State-owned enterprises could speed up and expand their reforms and reorganizations.

Jiang also emphasized the need to develop science and technology and pursue innovation in the industrial sector to realize sustainable development.

When he talked with NPC deputies from Central China's Hubei Province, Jiang urged them to focus their efforts on agricultural and rural development as the foundation of the national economy, to support farmers' initiatives, to amass more resources for the development of central and western China, and to reduce regional disparities.

Jiang also called for further efforts to create more jobs and improve social security.

Li Peng, chairman of the Ninth NPC Standing Committee, yesterday said the people's congresses should make their supervision of governments, courts and procuratorates a priority.

Joining a panel discussion with deputies from Gansu Province, Li said a draft law on supervision was submitted to the NPC, China's top legislature, in response to longstanding public demands for detailed rules on the monitoring of administrative and judicial bodies.

Li noted that a number of provincial and municipal people's congresses had increased their scrutiny of government budgets and economic affairs.

Li also said local legislative bodies could draw up rules and regulations on some sensitive issues to address local conditions before national laws were drafted, because of the diverse nature of China.

Other top leaders - all members of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Central Committee - also took part in panel discussions yesterday.

Huang Ju joined discussions with Hebei Province deputies, Li Changchun took part in discussions with Hainan Province deputies, while Luo Gan talked with Shaanxi Province deputies.