President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of environmental protection as local authorities strive to develop the economy.

Xi encouraged Southwest China's Guizhou province to pay more attention to ecological conservation when joining a panel discussion on Friday with lawmakers from the province at the ongoing annual parliamentary session.

He said a "colorful Guizhou" also means the province boasts a clean environment. Since 2005, local authorities have promoted the brand "colorful Guizhou" highlighting its ethnic cultures in a bid to boost tourism.

Chen Min'er, a Guizhou lawmaker, took pride in his hometown's clean air. He told Xi the density of PM2.5 in the province averages less than 50 micrograms per cubic meter.

Xi responded that air quality is linked directly to people's happiness. Showing a sense of humor, he said the air in Guizhou could be made into a "can of air".

Snapshots of?sessions, March 6	Snapshots of sessions, March 5