Chinese President Hu Jintao urged scientific development of the Binhai New Area, an economic powerhouse in north China, when joining a panel discussion with lawmakers from Tianjin Municipality. It is urgent to accelerate the transformation of the economic development pattern and promote growth led by innovation and driven by internal impetus, Hu told the deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's supreme legislature. Lying between Beijing and the Bohai Gulf, the Binhai New Area, with a population of 1.4 million, is an economic engine that drives the development of the country's north. The new area should play a leading role in the country to implement the scientific outlook on development and focus on improving people's livelihood and solving problems that the public care the most, Hu said. The city should seek coordinated social and economic development, and continuously strengthen its capabilities in urban planning, construction and management to build Tianjin into an international and modern city where people enjoy living. Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, joined a panel deliberation on the draft amendment to the Electoral Law with lawmakers from the southwestern Yunnan Province. He said the electoral system is an important basis of the people's congress system and an important content of the socialist path of political development with Chinese characteristics. 'We must bring into better play the advantages of the electoral system with Chinese characteristics,' Wu told the deputies. While joining a panel deliberation with NPC deputies from the eastern Shandong Province, Premier Wen Jiabao called for balanced development between urban and rural areas. The province should make efforts to expand export of its farm produce and help manufacturing businesses go through difficult times and upgrade their production capability, Wen said. Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), joined a panel discussion of political advisors from science and technology circles. Jia said science and technology workers should make efforts to advance innovation and contribute to the country's transformation of economic growth pattern. Speaking to NPC deputies from Fujian Province, Li Changchun, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, called for vigorous publicity efforts on the transformation of the economic development pattern. Vice Premier Li Keqiang told NPC deputies from Hainan Province to continue the efforts in developing the island into an international tourism destination. He said the province should develop tropical agriculture and marine economy, and strengthen energy conservation and environment protection. Zhou Yongkang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, joined the deliberation of the government work report with deputies from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He said the region must 'seize the historic opportunity, as the central authorities' conference on the work of Xinjiang approaches, ...to build a prosperous, harmonious and stable society in Xinjiang.' The annual full sessions of the CPPCC National Committee and NPC opened in Beijing last Wednesday and Friday. 