The Chinese parliament is stepping up legislation efforts to ensure the establishment of a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, a spokesman said Thursday.

Li Zhaoxing, spokesman of the annual session of the National People's Congress, made the remarks at a press conference a day before the meeting's opening.

Li said the establishment of a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics by 2010 is a goal set by the Communist Party of China at its 15th National Congress in 1997.

"It is a major task for the legislature to meet this target," Li said.