Chinese President Hu Jintao and other senior leaders on Monday joined lawmakers in panel discussions on the government work report, which was delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao at the parliament's annual session.
Hu said efforts should be focused on economic construction to ensure steady and fast economic growth.
"We should pay more attention to coordinated and sustainable development in an all-around way, and mobilize the initiative of all people to form a great force to boost the country's modernization drive," Hu said while talking to National People's Congress deputies from the coastal province of Jiangsu.
He stressed the need to upgrade the industrial structure as a way of transforming the mode of the country's economic development.
He also underlined the importance of conserving energy, reducing emissions and promoting scientific innovation.
Transformation of the mode of development and economic restructuring are the most pressing tasks at present for the Chinese government, Wen said in the government work report.
These measures are the "key to solving the problems of unbalanced, uncoordinated and unsustainable development" in China, he said.
Developed regions are at the forefront of China's reform and opening-up, and efforts should be made to push forward reform in key areas and in critical sectors, according to Hu. He also called for greater reform and opening-up in China's coastal regions and fostering new growth engines there.
While joining a panel discussion with the NPC delegation from Anhui province, top legislator Wu Bangguo called for efforts to promote economic growth and sustainable development through innovation and by expanding domestic demand.
Wu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said the deep-seated problems and conflicts that hinder economic and social development should be solved, calling for breakthroughs in some important fields.
He also called for more attention to be paid to improving people's livelihoods by addressing important issues concerning their lives, especially those of disadvantaged groups.
In discussions with NPC deputies from Beijing on Monday, Jia Qinglin, China's top political adviser, said the government work report delivered by Wen was a good and practical one that could inspire people.
Jia said the report emphasized making progress while maintaining stability and outlined policy priorities on improving people's living standards and promoting social fairness and justice.
Jia urged Beijing to take more effective measures to reduce air pollution, particularly improving air quality through the monitoring and treatment of tiny floating particles 2.5 micrometers in diameter or less, known as PM2.5.
While attending the panel discussion with NPC deputies from Sichuan province, Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of Communist Party of China's Central Committee, expressed appreciation for the progress made in rebuilding the area following a devastating earthquake in 2008.
Monday was Learn From Lei Feng Day, to commemorate the soldier who devoted much of his time to helping the needy, and to inspire others to do the same.
At a panel discussion with the Shanghai delegation, Vice-President Xi Jinping portrayed Shanghai as a city that maintains an important position in China's reform and development.
Xi urged Shanghai to embark on a road of scientific development while maintaining stable and fast economic growth.
The city should seek development driven by innovation by pushing forward reforms in all sectors with determination and courage, and promoting its competitiveness.