Li Peng, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made remark that China's people's congress system is a people's democratic system with Chinese characteristics introduced 45 years ago during an exclusive interview with "China's People's Congress", an official bulletin under the NPC Standing Committee.

Li quoted President Jiang Zemin as saying, "To adhere to and improve the people's congress system is most important in building a socialist democratic politics."

To adhere to and improve the system is a powerful weapon for China to counterattack western nations that have been advocating parliamentary democracy and trying to westernize and decentralize the country, and for China to ensure its stability, national unity, economic development and social progress, the top lawmaker emphasized.

The people's congress system is the State power system with the people's congress as the stone, under which the people are their own master, Li said, adding that the people's congress system in China is a system which is unique to China and is different to multiparty and power-sharing systems in the West.

Referring to the relations between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the people's congress, Li termed it as being "very important".

The people's congress has to work under the leadership of the CPC, while the CPC, the ruling party, turns its proposals through legal procedures into the will of the State and the action of the people, Li Peng said.

However, Li reiterated that the ruling party as well as all non- communist parties, social groups and all the citizens must abide by the laws and other legal resolutions and to act within the laws.

The people's congress, the government, the court and the procuratorate, are all working for the same one purpose to build socialism with Chinese characteristics, Li said.

The people's congress can play a big role in helping strengthen ties between the Party and the people, the NPC chairman said.

Li went on to talk about the importance of governing the nation by law, saying it is the fundamental requirement of the CPC. Laws have unified the Party's leadership and developed people's democracy.

The top lawmaker emphasized that the people's congress system ensures that the Party will always assume the overall responsibility and play a central role in coordinating different parties and sectors.

The NPC Standing Committee chairman, who took office in March last year, stressed that it is equally important for the people's congress to play a supervisory and legislative role. He disclosed that the NPC Standing Committee is now drafting laws concerning the supervision of judicial departments as well as government departments in charge of economic and financial plans.

Li urged to increase the public awareness about the importance of legal work in China among officials and ordinary Chinese. Many Chinese often approach ranking officials for help, rather than going to court, he said.