President Xi Jinping Thursday encouraged south China's Guangdong Province to make broader move in economic reform and opening up.

Guangdong has been the frontline of China's reform and opening-up for more than 30 years and should continue doing so, Xi said when joining a panel discussion with lawmakers from the province at the ongoing annual parliamentary session.

"You should continue to play a leading role in trying new things and exploring new areas (in future reforms)," he said.

He urged the province to speed up building modern market economy and transforming government functions, as well as adopt more active opening-up policies.

The legislators from Guangdong discussed reform, innovation, youth education and social management at the panel meeting.

The annual session of the National People's Congress opened on Wednesday.