Top senior legislators called on their colleagues to expedite the passage of laws that will address the needs of the poor and help them usher in a moderate lifestyle by 2020.

China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, reported that the Chinese leaders rallied their co-deputies to exert greater efforts to fight poverty and corruption  during the ongoing annual legislative sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Like Us on Facebook

A top legislator, Zhang Dejang, pushed for more government programs that will alleviate the condition of the impoverished sector of society.He also called on local authorities to do their part in lifting more Chinese out of poverty.

Zhang took up the cudgels for the poor as he joined lawmakers from northwest China's Gansu  in a panel discussion during the NPC annual meetings.

"We should provide more timely help to the people," he said.

Yu Zhengsheng, a political analyst, urged local authorities to focus their efforts on the implementation of government programs promoting education, employment, and poverty alleviation.

Yu, who participated in the panel discussion with deputies from China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, said the legislature should protect social stability, ethnic unity, and national integrity

The political advisor added that members of the faith should toe the line set by the government on the practice of religion and that religious extremism will be rejected with  their religious leaders and followers punished.

Another senior leader, Wang Qishan, raised the issue of corruption to the deputies from Shanxi province, known for its high incidence of graft in China.

Qishan told the deputies to prioritize laws that will contain graft in their areas as a string of corruption cases in the province  have been recently reported to  China's anti-corruption agents.

Qishan is the head of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline and Inspection.

TagsNPC, deputies, Poverty