The rule of law, strict governance over the Party and social security are the topics of greatest public concern for this year's two sessions, a survey has shown.

Social governance, national security, sci-tech innovation and education reform are also issues the public is interested in, according to the survey.

From Jan 30 to Feb 25, People.cn conducted an online survey of people's most pressing concerns ahead of the two sessions, the annual meetings of China's top legislature and political advisory body. More than 5.62 million people participated in the survey, according to the website affiliated with People's Daily.

Fang Lan, a deputy to the National People's Congress, said the survey results reflect the common concerns of the people, as the top three topics are closely related to the future development of the country and people's well-being.

Fang said ranking the rule of law first showed this concept has taken root with the people. In recent years, progress in building a law-based country has accelerated. Many wrongful convictions have been corrected and the hearing of backlogged cases has been sped up.

"From each small case, people can actually feel the justice and the protection of citizens, and this is crucial for each of us," she said, adding that rule of law is an important indicator of the modernization of the state government, and embodies the effectiveness of governance.