Premier Wen Jiabao said on Friday that the essence of China's socialist democracy is to let the people be masters of their country and enable them to oversee and criticize the government.

China will take into account its own conditions and build democracy in its own way, he said.

"We will promote fairness and justice, especially make justice the top value of the socialist system," said the premier at a press conference held after the conclusion of the annual session of the National People's Conference (NPC), the top legislature.

Regarding socialist democracy, Wen said that "all in all, it is to make people the master in their house."

To achieve the goal, the premier stressed the protection of people's democratic rights of election, decision-making, management and supervision.

Wen also stressed conditions for the people to oversee and criticize the government, so as to ensure everyone's all-round growth in an equal, fair and free environment and give full play to their creativity and independent thinking.

Democracy, the rule of law, freedom, human rights, equality and philanthropism are the common values shared by all people, the premier said.

While admitting that China lacks experience in socialist political and democratic construction, he expressed the willingness of learning from other countries with an opening-up policy to build a China-style democracy.

(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2007)