BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping on Monday stressed better coordinating development and security.

"Security is the bedrock of development, while stability is a prerequisite for prosperity," Xi said when addressing the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress, the national legislature.

Xi underscored the need to pursue a holistic approach to national security, improve the national security system, strengthen China's capacity for safeguarding national security, enhance public safety governance, improve the social governance system, and safeguard China's new development pattern with a new security architecture.

Xi also demanded efforts to advance the modernization of national defense and armed forces on all fronts, and build the people's armed forces into a "Great Wall of steel" that is capable of effectively safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests.