President Hu Jintao has joined the discussions with NPC deputies from the People's Liberation Army. 8 deputies delivered speeches on national defense and military construction.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (L, front), who is also General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with deputies while attending a plenary meeting of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) deputies to the Fifth Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 12, 2012. Vice President Xi Jinping, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, also attended the meeting. [Xinhua]

Hu Jintao praised the work of PLA in 2011 and said that national defense and military construction remains a top priority. He called for strengthening the army's ideological and political development. Hu Jintao said the fight against corruption must continue to ensure a clean army.

He also called for continued development of the army's combat capability. Vice President Xi Jinping also attended the meeting. The President listened to the opinions of deputies coming from grass-root army units.