President Xi Jinping called for deepened rural reform and strictly regulated use of officials' power when he attended a discussion of national lawmakers on Sunday.

Rural reform should be deepened energetically with a right orientation, and farmers' wishes should be respected, Xi said at a panel discussion of the deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, from east China's Anhui Province.

He urged proper handling of issues related to farmers' land, saying that pilot programs should be carried out to ensure that rural reform goes on smoothly.

He said that he hopes Anhui Province, which spearheaded China's rural reform that broke up the previous commune-style collective farming, could make an even bigger stride on the way of building a moderately prosperous society.

A village in Anhui Province initiated a household contract responsibility system in 1978, kicking off the country's rural reform.

Shortly after a key reform meeting last year pledged to gradually allow the transfer and mortgage of farmers' land-use rights, Anhui announced that around 20 counties will pilot a new system of rural property transfers.

During the discussion, Xi also urged officials to keep improving their work style and properly use their rights.

Officials should hold unwavering belief, seek integrity, keep away from vulgar interest, and resist harmful trends and crooked practices, Xi said.

"Power should be used for the people and in accordance with rules, and be encaged by regulations, while privileges and trade of power for self benefit should be allowed on no occasion," Xi said.

The annual session of the NPC opened on Wednesday and is scheduled to end on Thursday.

(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2014)