BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping emphasized continuous efforts to uphold, improve and run the system of people's congresses, China's fundamental political system, to good effect at a meeting held here on Saturday to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the need to further firm up confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics in developing whole-process people's democracy.

Addressing the meeting, attended by about 3,000 people, Xi said that the system of people's congresses is the outcome of the Chinese people's arduous exploration and long-term struggle under the leadership of the CPC.