President Hu Jintao on Friday stressed maintaining national integrity, ethnic unity and social stability in Tibet, and other Chinese leaders also joined with national legislators in panel discussions.

During a panel discussion with legislators from the Tibet autonomous region at the ongoing legislative session, Hu urged the consolidation of the foundation for the construction of a socialist new Tibet.

"Stability and harmony should be maintained in Tibet, with social management being enhanced and improved," he told the deputies to the National People's Congress.

Premier Wen Jiabao joined discussions with NPC deputies from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and said he has taken note of the sound and rapid development of Guangxi during the past few years, an achievement attributed mainly to ethnic unity in the region.

President Hu Jintao greets National People's Congress deputies from the Tibet autonomous region during a group discussion on Friday in Beijing. Photo by Ju Peng / Xinhua