The First Session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, concluded in Beijing on March 13, with leading members of state institutions elected and endorsed.

Xi Jinping was unanimously elected president of the People's Republic of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission. "The people's trust is my biggest motivation moving forward and is also a weighty responsibility on my shoulders," Xi said in his speech at the closing meeting of the session. He further expressed he will continue to take the needs of the country as his mission and the people's interests as the yardstick to follow, be committed and honest in his duties and devote himself to his work without reserve. Upon nomination by President Xi, Li Qiang was endorsed as Chinese premier.

When meeting the press on March 13, Li emphasized a people-centered development philosophy and vowed to maintain steadfast determination in every undertaking concerning the people's wellbeing.

Most people do not have their eyes on GDP growth all the time, Li said, adding what they care more about are the things that are part of their everyday lives, such as housing, employment and the environment. So the government must always plan and execute its agenda in light of what the people feel and act according to their aspirations.

As the world's second largest economy, China has made great progress in economic and social terms, but its development remains imbalanced and inadequate. Any aggregate volume divided by the 1.4-billion-strong population will result in a small per-capita figure. Going forward, the focus of China's development will shift from meeting the people's basic needs to offering them better quality of life.

In particular, China will upgrade the country's capacity in innovation, accelerate the creation of a modern industrial system and advance development in an environmentally friendly way. These are just a handful of topics the often-used term "high-quality development" refers to.

Also, the Chinese leadership has reiterated the country intends to provide a better business environment for all kinds of market players. Last year, the country's actual use of foreign capital topped $189 billion, indicating China remains a popular destination for foreign investment.