BEIJING - China's top legislator Wu Bangguo said Friday that China should unwaveringly keep to the socialist path of political development with Chinese characteristics.

"We need to thoroughly understand the intrinsic nature of China's system of people's congresses; confidently uphold our unique characteristics; be fully aware of the essential differences between this system and Western capitalist countries' systems of political power," Wu said.

"We need to remain sober-minded and take a firm and clear stand on major issues of principle," he added while delivering a work report of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) at the parliamentary annual session.

"To manage China's affairs well, we need to stay grounded in its realities, rely on the strength of the Chinese people, and follow a development path suited to China's conditions," he said.

"It is primarily because we blazed the socialist path with Chinese characteristics suited to China's conditions on the basis of an in-depth review of lessons and experience at home and abroad that China -- a large developing country with a population of over 1.3 billion, 56 ethnic groups, a weak foundation, and late start in development -- has been able to maintain long-term political stability and social harmony, safeguard national unity and ethnic solidarity, and sustain development at a speed rarely seen in the world," he said.

The socialist system with Chinese characteristics, including the system of people's congresses, is the fundamental institutional guarantee for the development and progress of contemporary China, and "we must cherish it even more and adhere to it for a long time to come," he said.

He said that in China, the system of people's congresses is the fundamental way and highest form in which the people serve as masters of the country.

It is also the best way in which the Communist Party of China (CPC) can give full play to democracy and implement the mass line in exercising state power, and it has tremendous vitality and huge advantages.

To successfully uphold and improve the system of people's congresses, "we must make use of the political advantage of having the CPC as the firm leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, ensure that the positions of the Party become the will of the state through legally established procedures, and provide institutional and legal guarantees that the line, policies, and principles of the Party are implemented," he said.

"We must make use of the institutional advantage that all power of the state belongs to the people, ensure that the people perform their powers of managing state affairs through people's congresses at all levels, mobilize all the people to dedicate themselves to reform, opening up and socialist modernization as masters of the country, and successfully fulfill, safeguard and develop the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people," he added.